Figurehead "Martha" c. 1938

Editor: We're looking at "Figurehead 'Martha'," dating from around 1938. It's a drawing of a carved wood figure, probably made with pencil. I’m struck by the contrast between the smoothness the artist attempts to capture in the figure’s face, and the very apparent grain of the wood it’s made from. What stands out to you, looking at this? Curator: The success of the composition lies in its exploitation of contrasting textures and forms. Notice how the planar quality of the drawing itself mediates our reading of depth in the carved form. We see the figure "Martha," but she exists foremost as a carefully delineated surface. What purpose do you think the artist had by rendering in a graphic medium something that is 3D and tangible? Editor: Perhaps the drawing flattens the form and brings our attention to the wood grain itself. To look at the very material it's composed of rather than what the figure represents? Curator: Precisely. It almost denies the illusionistic potential inherent in both drawing and sculpture. By laying bare the techniques used, we aren’t invited to see "Martha," but the artistic process itself. Are you sensing an emotional coldness emanating from the piece? Editor: Yes, definitely. By calling attention to itself as a crafted object and drawing, the work seems less like a portrayal and more of a commentary on portraiture. Curator: Exactly. By using an inherently 3-dimensional and textured subject rendered with line and value to represent the sculpture, the work destabilizes our conventional relationship with representation. The planes, the hatching… each contribute to this effect. Editor: This close looking reveals much more than my initial reaction allowed. I’ll certainly think more about this interplay between material, representation, and artistry next time. Curator: Indeed, artistic intentions can be multilayered and are rarely immediately apparent. Thank you for pointing to such details that would otherwise have gone unremarked.