Shovelnose Sturgeon 2002

Editor: So, this is Larry Stark's "Shovelnose Sturgeon." I’m immediately struck by the contrast between the detailed fish and the abstract blue background. How does this image speak to you? Curator: The choice of a sturgeon is interesting. Consider the history of sturgeon fishing and caviar production, and how that’s connected to ideas of luxury and ecological concerns. Does this piece become a commentary on our relationship with natural resources and the politics of consumption? Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered! Curator: Thinking about where this piece is displayed, too—in a museum. How does that institutional context affect our understanding of it? Does it elevate the sturgeon to something more than just a fish? Editor: It's like the museum is validating its importance. I never thought about the social and historical connections. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure, seeing art as part of a larger cultural conversation gives it such a deeper resonance.