Model of a Made Mast 1845

Curator: Here we have a Model of a Made Mast, dating back to 1845, crafted from wood. I'm struck by how cleanly geometric the design is. Almost abstract. Editor: I'm seeing a stark reminder of colonialism and maritime power. This isn't just a pretty geometric object; it's a symbol of exploration, exploitation, and the historical realities of trade routes during that era. It’s simultaneously elegant and… menacing, I guess is the word that comes to mind. Curator: Menacing, really? I suppose it does evoke a sense of the imposing height of ships. But I mostly get a feeling of craftsmanship. Think of the skill involved in precisely carving these pieces to interlock and fit. Editor: But craftsmanship for what purpose? These masts powered vessels that often carried enslaved people, resources stolen from colonized lands. We can't detach the beauty of the object from its deeply problematic historical context. How can we admire its elegant geometry while ignoring the complex realities and global violence that defined its historical context? Curator: It is certainly not that I intend to detach them. Yet, I feel art holds multiple realities. In isolation, there’s almost a zen quality. A certain harmony, the repetition of forms. The textures too, beg to be felt. It has, dare I say, a kind of peaceful hum to it. The interplay of light and shadow really creates something. Editor: Peace is definitely not the word that jumps to mind, knowing what those masts propelled across oceans. Consider the labor, the hierarchies embedded within the shipbuilding process, the environmental impact. All those things are quite literally invisible in its form and shape and we must challenge this deliberate forgetting. Curator: So perhaps, that “peaceful hum” is in reality a call to remember, a ghost that haunts and begs to be properly reckoned with, I take your point, there’s nothing inherently benign here. It's all loaded. Editor: Exactly. Seeing this sculpture isn't just about admiring a historical object; it's about engaging with a material object that bears witness to a painful past, and encourages thoughtful reckoning. That reckoning needs to come through dialogue. And hopefully this short exchange can serve as an opening for it.