118 E. Pearson 

Curator: What stands out is the emphasis on the everyday—the intimate scene of a family meal rendered with simple charcoal or pencil. Think about the artist’s choice to represent such a quotidian moment, one involving gathering and labor. Editor: We're looking at "118 E. Pearson" by Anne Michalov. It appears to be a charcoal or pencil drawing of a group of people around a table, maybe a family dinner. It's interesting, almost like a snapshot, but also carefully composed. What draws your attention most in this work? Curator: The rough texture and monochrome palette highlight the raw materiality of the drawing process itself. Do you notice how the depiction of family is centered by labor; preparing and eating food? Editor: I do. The textures and varying darkness definitely make it feel immediate and kind of…real. Do you see the choice of such an ordinary scene of dining connected to broader ideas? Curator: Absolutely. By focusing on a common scenario using readily available materials, Michalov is making a statement. Art isn't just about grand subjects or expensive media; it's also found in observing life through a materialist lens of accessibility. This challenges any hierarchy between high art and everyday life. Also, observe how this intimate image hints at larger social rituals. Editor: So, by using such humble materials like charcoal and paper to depict something as normal as a family meal, the artist kind of democratizes the whole idea of what art can be? Curator: Precisely. We see how the making and subject become accessible through these mediums. It makes you think about who is included and excluded in art, both in terms of making and observing. What’s your takeaway now? Editor: I initially saw it just as a nice drawing of a family. Now I appreciate that the artist employed such simple materials. Curator: I think you see it like I do now— as an important lens for challenging notions of art and what it means to elevate simple events, or those involving labor, into images of meaning.