Summer Cottage 2003

Editor: So, this is Larry Stark’s photograph, "Summer Cottage," from the Harvard Art Museums’ collection. It’s, well, a tree festooned with signs… cabin names, maybe? It feels kind of… wistful? What do you see in this piece, beyond the obvious lumberjack chic? Curator: Wistful is a good start! For me, it’s a collision of human imposition and natural resilience. These signs, nailed to the tree, are so insistent. They represent property, ownership, a desire to leave a mark. But look at the tree itself. It just keeps growing, indifferent to our little dramas. Editor: So, a power struggle? Curator: Perhaps, or maybe just a quiet commentary on our fleeting existence against the backdrop of something timeless. It makes you wonder about the stories behind those names, doesn't it? What will outlast what? Editor: Definitely gives you pause, thinking about it that way! Thanks.