Rooster c. 1940

Curator: Wow, it looks almost... carved. Like a child's toy rendered with profound seriousness. There's a weight to it, despite its apparent lightness. Editor: Indeed. We are looking at "Rooster", crafted around 1940. Hester Duany masterfully combined drawing and carving techniques, bringing this bird to life. What do you feel informs our viewing this unique carving? Curator: Well, there is something inherently folksy, maybe? And then the texture! That all-over carved pattern feels incredibly tactile. I want to run my hands all over it and perhaps try to give it names. Editor: You pick up on a crucial element. Realism blends with stylistic intervention in this intriguing artwork. What is particularly compelling here is the artistic fusion. A carved, physical object presented through the seemingly flat and graphic form of a drawing. Curator: Exactly! I think it invites us to think about authenticity, doesn’t it? We believe that wood is naturally unpolished and the medium should follow it but Hester subverts that assumption by using realism with carving which adds visual heft. Editor: Precisely. The artist here engages with prevalent assumptions about sculpture. This period of the early to mid-20th century also sees renewed interest in folk art forms. "Rooster" participates in this return to handcrafted traditions while playing within more traditional aesthetic parameters. Curator: You have a point there about the cultural associations—this might be read in line with so-called primitivist movements in which cultures seen as "untouched" and free were viewed by Europeans at that time as intrinsically more truthful or artistic, right? Editor: In a sense. There's certainly an echo of that desire to tap into something primal and unfettered. Although a more nuanced consideration reveals a deliberate manipulation and remixing of stylistic traits in Duany's piece. I love that duality. Curator: The tension between genuine raw form and crafted reality is wonderfully rich in the rooster—something that resonates even today! Editor: Absolutely. Duany invites a rethinking of historical and cultural influences and this work feels very progressive and important to continue reflecting on now.