The Moloch Eats Every Day c. 1950s

Editor: This print, "The Moloch Eats Every Day" by Harold Persico Paris from around the 1950s, is striking with its stark black and white contrast. It's emotionally heavy; the figures seem caught in a moment of intense suffering or sacrifice. What meanings do you think Paris was trying to convey with this imagery? Curator: It's a powerful piece. Notice the title itself, referencing Moloch, the ancient Canaanite deity associated with child sacrifice. How does Paris use the figure of Moloch symbolically? Is it a commentary on societal structures that demand sacrifice, perhaps of the individual? Editor: Definitely. It feels like he's not just talking about a literal sacrifice, but maybe the sacrifice of innocence, freedom, even life itself within a system. Are there particular symbols or visual cues you see here that reinforce that idea? Curator: The stark contrast is key. Light often represents knowledge, awareness, hope, while darkness can represent ignorance, oppression, or death. Paris seems to position his figures in this symbolic space, don't you think? Also, the figures huddled together suggest a loss of identity or autonomy, almost becoming one entity consumed by this "Moloch." Think of similar iconographies of mourning and collective grief throughout history. Editor: That’s interesting. So the facelessness, the almost merged bodies, speak to a shared experience of subjugation? I hadn’t considered it that way. Curator: Precisely! The lack of individual features removes specificity, creating a universal image of suffering under oppressive forces. The “Moloch” then isn’t a specific person or entity, but a system. Consider the Black Arts Movement connection too; it may critique social and political sacrifices imposed on certain groups. Editor: This really shifted my understanding. It's less about a singular act and more about a cyclical process of oppression. Thanks! Curator: Indeed! Recognizing the layers of symbolic weight embedded within the image enables a more nuanced encounter, wouldn’t you agree?