Rock-cut Church, Aubeterre 1930

Editor: This is Roger Fry’s “Rock-cut Church, Aubeterre”, held in the Tate Collections. It’s a pencil drawing, and the heavy use of shading creates such a sense of depth. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The materiality speaks volumes. Consider the labor involved in both the church’s creation and Fry's act of drawing. He's not just depicting space; he's recording the consumption of the rock itself, both materially and culturally, through the church's function. Editor: Consumption, that’s interesting. So you see the drawing as a document of labor and materials? Curator: Precisely! It challenges the traditional hierarchy, elevating the rock and the act of making to the level of high art. We must consider how this artwork shifts our perception of value and artistic skill. Editor: That makes me think differently about the drawing; it's not just a picture but a record. Curator: Exactly! Understanding the means of production alters how we engage with the final image.