The Print Lover 1931

Editor: Here we have Dwight Case Sturges's 1931 etching, "The Print Lover." The subject looks completely absorbed, almost like he's in his own world with his cigar and artwork. What strikes you when you look at this print? Curator: The immediate symbol is of course the cigar—a phallic representation of dominance and satisfaction. But note *where* his attention is directed. It's not outwards, engaging the world. No, his gaze and, by extension, his desire, are fixated on another *print.* Editor: That’s an interesting take! I was focused more on the idea of quiet contemplation. Curator: Contemplation is key, but it’s a deliberate construction. What does the smoke from the cigar signify? Escape, certainly, but also a shrouding – an obscuring of the world outside the frame. And what of the actual print he is holding? Editor: I suppose it doubles down on the theme—he is a man consumed by images. Curator: Exactly! And consider how the sharp, dark lines used to depict him contrast with the negative space that surrounds him. It is a stark, psychological landscape. Where would he be without art? Does this resonate today, in our digital age? Editor: Absolutely. It’s easy to lose yourself in curated images and build a wall around the real world. Curator: The image suggests that we replace reality with representations. Do you think this resonates today as much as when it was produced? Perhaps even more so? Editor: Definitely food for thought on how we engage with the world through art and images. Curator: Precisely. An interesting window into a constructed reality through carefully considered symbolic details.