Santos Retablos 1935 - 1942

Editor: This is “Santos Retablos,” made between 1935 and 1942. The artwork by Maude Valle appears to be done with watercolors. I'm struck by the folk-art style, but the execution seems rather simple, almost hurried. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Well, looking at the materials and the method of production reveals quite a bit. Watercolor, especially on this kind of paper, suggests accessibility and perhaps limited resources. The seeming simplicity might not be a lack of skill, but rather an economic decision or even a deliberate stylistic choice reflecting the traditions of folk art itself, made for or by those outside the traditional art world. Editor: So, you are saying the use of materials speaks to class or accessibility? Curator: Exactly! Consider the labour involved in creating this piece versus a grand oil painting. Was this for personal devotion, community use, or even potentially for sale? Think about the social context: what was happening in New Mexico between 1935 and 1942? Editor: Right, the Depression, maybe affecting available art supplies or creating a need for more affordable religious icons? Curator: Precisely! These Retablos functioned within a system of belief, but also within an economy of production and consumption. Who was commissioning these pieces? Who was buying them? These are key materialist questions to unlock its meaning. Editor: I never considered those questions when looking at art before! Thinking about the labor and economy surrounding a piece adds so much. Curator: It helps to demystify art, to understand it not as purely aesthetic, but deeply embedded in social and economic relations. Editor: It's almost like the painting becomes a historical document reflecting society at the time it was created, not just the skill of the artist. Thanks so much for illuminating this for me!