Fleur et Racines (Flower and Roots) 1959

Editor: This is "Fleur et Racines," or "Flower and Roots," a mixed-media print with etching by Juvenal Sansó, created in 1959. I find the contrasting textures so compelling—the delicate flower versus the almost chaotic roots and branches. What stands out to you? Curator: The pairing itself, flower and roots, invites a deeper reading. What do roots signify? Hidden foundations, ancestry, the unconscious. The flower? Ephemeral beauty, outward expression, the conscious mind. Notice how Sansó renders the roots almost aggressively textured, while the flower seems to be fading or dissolving. Editor: That's an interesting way to look at it. It's almost like he's suggesting the roots are more powerful or permanent than the flower. Curator: Precisely. And considering the period – 1959 – we could also consider the post-war anxieties emerging, a questioning of traditional values perhaps? The surface beauty—the flower—might be seen as fragile in comparison to the deep, sometimes gnarled, underpinnings of society and culture. Do you find the limited color palette significant? Editor: Definitely. The monochrome reinforces the feeling of looking at something fundamental, almost a study of essential forms rather than a celebration of color. Curator: Consider also the way Sansó employs etching. Its lines have a capacity to delineate what it means to see, explore the foundation and what that represents. Each stroke adds meaning to an object, as it stands or falls. It also reinforces a sense of underlying fragility or impermanence to what is on the surface. Editor: I'm beginning to appreciate the layers of symbolism present in such a seemingly simple image. Thanks for this insightful explanation. Curator: And thank you for noticing the subtle tensions that create such resonance! I will never see roots in the same way again.