BEARDED CHE 2004

Curator: Rah Crawford's "Bearded Che," created in 2004 using acrylic paint, strikes me immediately. There's a clear graphic sensibility; it is constructed from striking shapes of text forming the figure's iconic visage, a clear pop art reference. What stands out to you, Editor? Editor: It’s definitely a potent image. I’m struck by how Crawford situates this instantly recognizable revolutionary within a broader socio-political context. Look closely, and you can see words and phrases embedded within Che’s form that build meaning: "humility," "move earth" and then "the right has left," stenciled across the top. It begs the question of what ideological legacy is actually left. Curator: Indeed, Crawford manipulates the expected visual language here. Considering the technical application, the artist seems interested in a flattening of perspective typical in poster art of that period, with meticulous lines defining contours. How does the selection of acrylic and use of lettering tie into ideas about readily accessible production methods? It feels far removed from, say, oil painting, which for many years connoted high art. Editor: Absolutely. This deliberate accessibility through materials and stylistic choices opens a door to dissect power structures within art itself. I find it provocative how the very figure, Che Guevara, is so overtly commodified and turned into popular imagery, and yet the artist reclaims a narrative by including dissident words. We must consider what it signifies to make this a portrait, especially in light of postcolonial and Marxist criticisms on hero worship. Curator: It creates a friction, right? It’s less an unquestioning glorification than an invitation to really consider this historical figure’s continued symbolic weight, but through accessible techniques such as text and common paint, the figure of the revolutionary is opened up to a wide audience for reconsideration. Editor: Exactly. It compels a re-examination, pushing against simplification through that very recognizable, almost mass-produced visual style. A powerful use of popular aesthetics in order to challenge perceptions. Curator: Looking at it materially then, Crawford's piece functions almost as a palimpsest. Layers of meaning both obscure and reveal the complexities embedded in iconic imagery through careful mark-making, hinting to me that revolution begins when accepted notions get deconstructed and examined. Editor: I agree. Ultimately, "Bearded Che" uses the readily available form of a heroic image to question the enduring meaning and use of resistance.