Black Horse Weather Vane c. 1939

Editor: This is Beatrice DeKalb's "Black Horse Weather Vane," created around 1939, using pencil and graphite. It’s a really simple composition, almost like a child’s drawing, but the starkness of the black horse against the white paper gives it a sort of imposing, monumental feel. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see an echo of cultural memory. The horse itself, a symbol loaded with meaning across centuries and cultures. Think of its association with power, freedom, even divination. And then placed on a weather vane, directing us, predicting change. How does this symbol of primal instinct come to signify an ability to foretell or alter the winds of fate? Editor: So you’re saying the image is tapping into these deeper, almost primal connections we have with horses? But how does that work in a drawing that is ostensibly about something so functional like a weather vane? Curator: Exactly! DeKalb invites us to question the purpose. Is it purely functional, a guide to the wind? Or is the black horse something more? Does it become an idol, a silent guardian directing us through turbulent times? Remember, this was created around 1939, as war was brewing in Europe. Editor: I didn't think about that. It's a much heavier image when you consider the historical context. So the horse is no longer just a farm animal or even just an aesthetic element. Curator: Precisely! Its silhouette, so boldly rendered, feels like a looming presence, a reminder of strength perhaps needed in uncertain times, and possibly, a darker symbol of war to come. What do you take away from that now? Editor: I realize there's so much more going on in this "simple" drawing than I initially thought. It shows how even something commonplace like a weather vane can carry layers of meaning and cultural significance. Curator: Indeed! The image serves as a potent reminder that the symbols we encounter are never truly neutral.