Weather Vane - Horse c. 1940

Curator: Here we have Nicholas Amantea's drawing, "Weather Vane - Horse," created around 1940, using colored pencils. What are your initial impressions? Editor: It's captivating—there's an immediacy and rawness in the visual syntax. The stark lines juxtapose with the mottled application of color to evoke the inherent mutability in the form and function of this kind of mass produced article, even creating a slightly melancholy tone in rendering what I read to be a symbol of freedom. Curator: Precisely, I think that melancholy arises from the knowing evocation of the artifact's creation; each weathervane was individually hammered into shape. Consider the physical labor embedded in making the represented object; it is through laboring hands, with these materials, that our society understands it has power. The artist points us towards this value, too. Editor: An astute observation. Note the rusticated palette, achieved using colored pencils, not metal. Observe how the artist exploits visual signifiers, tricking our minds to 'see' authentic weathering in lieu of authentic materiality. He masterfully conjures both representation and illusion. Curator: This resonates with an aesthetic that values rusticity, yet consider also how Amantea presents a democratized icon: the horse as weathervane, ubiquitous in countless workshops, not necessarily appreciated as 'art'. I propose Amantea draws attention to this under-considered creation. Editor: An insightful hypothesis. Zooming into the subject itself, note how Amantea cleverly evokes a folk aesthetic, further disrupting standard perceptions of craft versus art by rendering this subject matter using conventional tools. Curator: It seems this humble 'Weather Vane - Horse,' born from both industry and craft, reflects more complex narratives on art and social hierarchy than initially perceived. Editor: Yes. Its value, literally weathered, shines anew. I will not soon forget this drawing.