Stern Face 1936

Editor: This is Julio Gonzalez's "Stern Face," a drawing. The stark black and white and angular features definitely give it a weighty, almost severe feel. What do you make of it? Curator: It's like Gonzalez is wrestling with the very idea of a face, breaking it down, almost weaponizing it with those sharp lines. He was a sculptor who worked with metal, and you can see that influence here, can't you? It's not just a face; it's a construct. How does that sit with you? Editor: I see what you mean. It's less about capturing a likeness and more about… building an idea? Curator: Exactly! And in doing so, Gonzalez offers us a glimpse into his own mind, his own struggles, as if the face itself were a mirror reflecting his inner world. Editor: So interesting to consider his process informing the artwork's outcome. Thanks!