Plate 101 Raven 

Editor: Here we have John James Audubon's "Plate 101 Raven." The lithography really catches my eye—the stark black of the raven against the greenery has a graphic quality. How would you interpret this work? Curator: The most striking thing here is the representation of labor, of the painstaking process inherent in producing these prints. Think about the economic system that allowed for this endeavor—the sourcing of materials, the division of labor among the artists and printers, the transportation and distribution of the finished product. Editor: It's interesting to consider the labor involved. I was initially just looking at the finished image. Curator: Right, but the image is itself a product of a complex material reality. Consider the paper itself - the type of pulp, where it came from. Each print is not just an image of a bird, but a document of a specific time, place, and mode of production. What impact do you think the process of printing many of the same images would have had on its distribution, the ease with which ordinary people could experience these images? Editor: I imagine printmaking made Audubon’s artwork available to a much wider audience than a single painting would be. That’s democratization of art. Curator: Precisely. But who was it truly accessible to? How does access intersect with class and the economic system? Are the materials themselves indicative of a luxury item, or were they created with mass consumption in mind? Editor: So, analyzing the materiality can give us insights into its original target audience and cultural value? Curator: Absolutely. It encourages us to question the relationship between art, labor, and consumption. What are your final thoughts on that? Editor: I hadn’t considered the socioeconomic aspect before. I’ll never look at prints the same way!