K from The ABC Bunny 1933

Editor: So, here we have Wanda Gág’s "K from The ABC Bunny," a pencil and print work from 1933. There’s this wonderfully languid feeling to the composition with the bunny relaxing on its back. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a meticulousness of craft that often goes unacknowledged in works deemed "illustrations." Look closely at the contrasting textures achieved solely through pencil work – the fur of the bunny against the smooth sky, for example. This wasn’t simply conjured; it was painstakingly built through labor. Editor: You're focusing on the making of it. How does that change our understanding? Curator: It makes us consider the social context. This was during the Depression. What did it *mean* to dedicate so much time and resources – even something as “simple” as a pencil – to such fine detail when so many struggled? It becomes less about childish whimsy and more about choices regarding materials, processes and artistic labor. Editor: That's a very different perspective than how I first viewed it. I was thinking more about how cute the drawing is. Is it possible both perspectives are valid? Curator: Absolutely. And consider the role of "The ABC Bunny" itself. A mass-produced children's book during a period of economic hardship: was it a form of accessible escapism, a means of cultural indoctrination, or simply another commodity produced for profit? It might even have provided work for many illustrators at a time of great precarity. Editor: I never would have thought of the economic angle! Thanks to you, I will reflect upon the processes behind this cute children’s book drawing. Curator: And I’m now wondering whether the inherent value of art in times of adversity is as commodity, record, or resistance! Thanks for that.