Avenue of Trees 

Editor: We are looking at "Avenue of Trees," a pencil and ink drawing by John Hayter. It's quite a lovely landscape sketch, and you can almost feel the dappled light filtering through the trees. What catches your eye about it? Curator: I find myself drawn to the very means of production. Think about the graphite and the ink: How readily available were these materials? Who had access to them? The physical act of sketching, rapidly capturing a scene – it speaks volumes about the artist's class position and access to leisure. Editor: So you see the drawing itself as evidence of social structures? Curator: Absolutely. Consider the paper, its sourcing, its cost. And look closely at the line work. It isn't precious, is it? This is a working sketch, not a finished artwork intended for sale or display. It’s about process and immediate material exploration. Where might this have been created and what were Hayter's experiences in producing it? Editor: It’s interesting to think about what the materials themselves represent. The accessibility, or lack thereof, definitely adds another layer to the work. What do you think of the level of finish within the sketch? Does it point towards a consumer culture? Curator: Precisely! Note the figure in the distance. This sketch, then, presents a potential interaction: How might an observer relate their material existence to the natural world, depicted here by inexpensive materials for intimate use by a privileged class of people? And look there; see how some areas are more detailed than others, signifying where he spent his efforts? Editor: I never would have thought to look at a landscape drawing this way! It definitely makes me consider how the most basic art supplies carry a history of their own. Curator: Exactly. It reminds us that even a simple sketch reflects complex material conditions and social relations of production.