Standing female figure 200 - 700

Curator: Let’s dive right into this intriguing artwork from Michoacan, dating from 200 to 700 AD. It's a ceramic sculpture, titled "Standing Female Figure", and resides here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. What immediately strikes you about it? Editor: The texture. You can really see the individual coils of clay that the artist used. It feels so raw and hand-made, almost like a folk art piece instead of something…ancient. What's your take? Curator: Precisely. It’s essential to consider this object not as high art, but as a product of specific material conditions and social practices. The apparent simplicity of the clay, the visible labor in the coiling, connects us to the Michoacan people and their processes. This challenges the hierarchy often imposed on art history. What do you think this materiality tells us about its function and role within its culture? Editor: Maybe it wasn’t meant to be precious in the same way a gold statue would be? Its availability made it accessible for rituals. Were these figures mass-produced, do you think? Curator: Possibly, but each was individually formed by hand; we must respect the skilled labor involved. Also, consider what using readily available materials meant for the community: local sourcing, shared knowledge of technique… This piece isn’t just about what it depicts but how it was made and what that process meant. How does this perspective alter your initial perception? Editor: It definitely humanizes it. Instead of just appreciating its aesthetic, I am thinking about the hands that crafted it, the resources they had, and the rituals that surrounded it. Curator: Exactly! By focusing on the material and labor, we move beyond purely aesthetic or symbolic readings. Editor: Thanks, that provides new avenues of interpretations I wasn't considering before. I am starting to think differently about materiality. Curator: Likewise, analyzing the methods reveals so much more than simple descriptions of appearances.