Horse Figure 1940

Curator: Right now, we’re looking at Hester Duany’s "Horse Figure" from 1940, rendered in both carving and drawing mediums over wood. What's grabbing your attention first, Editor? Editor: It's the stillness. A silent, almost solemn presence. The simple, blocky form makes me think of ancient toys or ritual objects – something holding untold stories. Curator: Interesting. Focusing on that blocky form, let’s consider the labor involved. Each facet created by removing wood testifies to Duany's physical engagement with the material, shaping something representational from raw, earthly matter. It grounds us in the process of its making. Editor: And yet, there's a tenderness too. Look at the gentle curve of the neck, the almost mournful set of the head. I wonder if Duany was trying to capture not just the form of a horse, but also its spirit. You can feel the artist searching for something essential within the wood itself. Curator: Materially, the choice of wood itself speaks volumes. In 1940, during wartime, resourceful choices were often dictated by scarcity. But wood also carries its own history – trees, growth, the natural world. Duany is situating the horse, a symbol often associated with freedom, within very particular constraints. Editor: Maybe that tension – between freedom and constraint, representation and raw material – is exactly where the power lies. It's like the horse is patiently waiting, holding its strength in reserve. I get this odd feeling that it could suddenly come to life. Curator: Or, that its life is inextricably linked to the processes – the carving, drawing and also cultural – that brought it into being. Seeing art as a product, inextricably linked to both social circumstances and physical properties opens our eyes to the real, material circumstances of its creation. Editor: You're right, thinking about it not as just an object of art but the outcome of so many creative forces enriches the encounter so much. For me, I walk away touched by both its grounding reality, and its sense of hidden possibility.