Mulberry Plantation House 1971 - 1972

Editor: This is David Gentleman’s "Mulberry Plantation House" from the Tate collection, a print of what appears to be a Southern mansion. The composition feels very formal, almost symmetrical. What stands out to you? Curator: I notice the careful rendering of brick and the regular pattern of the shutters. It makes me wonder about the labor required to build and maintain this structure, and whose labor was it? Editor: What do you mean? Curator: Well, considering the likely historical context, much of the labor involved in constructing and running a plantation house was probably coerced. The print becomes less about architectural beauty and more about the system of production and social hierarchy it represents. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about. Thank you. Curator: You’re welcome. Seeing it in this light helps understand its cultural legacy.