Carved Cat Head (Detail) c. 1936

Curator: Before us, we have Alton K. Skillin's graphite drawing, "Carved Cat Head (Detail)," created around 1936. The lines seem incredibly precise. What is your initial impression? Editor: My eye is drawn immediately to the texture—the suggestion of weathered stone and deep age. The cracks especially are beautifully rendered. Curator: Absolutely. The drawing simulates a kind of classical-realism, it begs the question of where the drawing itself falls on the spectrum between design and reproduction? How does it shape our perception of craftsmanship? Editor: I read that cracking as more than simple aging. Notice the stylized way they emphasize the eye. To me, it conjures a powerful connection to ancient Egyptian iconography and ideas around divine animal power and sacred space. That feline gaze projects ownership. Curator: Good eye. It is a potent cultural reference. Considering the 1930s, however, one can imagine a broader cultural discourse on ornamentation as integral to machine age industrialization or architectural modernism. Editor: Possibly, but I see layers upon layers of symbolism in the figure itself. Cats held incredibly potent meanings across numerous cultures, and these archetypes find expression even today. It has a universal quality that goes beyond that decade. Curator: It’s undeniably impactful. Let’s also not overlook the craft element here—the artist is, of course, selecting an element, an archetype, but the way the materials were procured, distributed and utilized reflects economic realities of the day. Editor: A great point. I think the artist captured an element of primordial instinct. The animal seems vigilant, a keeper of secrets. I leave this with thoughts about continuity across cultures. Curator: And I will think about how we, too, are situated to produce something—knowledge or discourse—to continue an act of material transformation in our world today.