Woman 1958

Curator: Let’s spend a few moments with Bernard Reder’s ink drawing, "Woman," created in 1958. Editor: Immediately, the thing that grabs me is how unfinished it feels. The stark contrast between the solid background washes and the scribbled linework is striking. It looks raw, like a study pulled straight from the artist’s sketchbook. Curator: It certainly has that quality. Reder, who was primarily a sculptor, often used drawing to explore form and gesture. Given that this drawing is inscribed “to my friends the Rosenwalds”, we could even imagine it was made *in situ*! Alix and David Rosenwald were important patrons of the arts and major collectors. A gesture from one artist to another. Editor: Ah, fascinating! The inscription adds another layer. Looking closely, you can almost feel the movement of his hand as he built up the forms using short, energetic strokes of the ink. It’s less about perfect representation and more about capturing the essence of the figure, wouldn’t you agree? Curator: Absolutely. Reder had been working with figuration for decades, shifting stylistically depending on the current artistic trends and demands of the post-war art world, from the impact of surrealism and expressionism to total abstraction, and back again. Editor: It’s the materials and technique that speak volumes to me. The fluidity of the ink, contrasted with the paper, and then used for representing a very traditional portrait creates an interesting dialogue about art-making itself. I wonder, for example, what paper stock was used? I bet a conservator would find it intriguing to investigate its history, given the dedication and all! Curator: It's clear Reder used ink here, almost experimentally. I am left to consider the social connections Reder had cultivated with people that believed in his artistic approach to a variety of media! Editor: An apt point to end on—emphasizing the work's intersection between material, artist, and networks that help keep art visible.