Untitled [recto] 1959

Editor: This is an untitled drawing by José Luis Cuevas, created in 1959 using ink, watercolor, and charcoal. There’s a sense of confinement to the figures depicted; they appear huddled and constrained within the composition. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Immediately, I'm struck by the ambiguity, the veiled quality of memory itself. Cuevas renders figures in this liminal space, a space reminiscent of a collective unconscious. The muted tones, primarily browns and grays, create a somber atmosphere. These colours are themselves symbolic. Think of the associations we have with the earth, with aging, with history itself. Does this resonate with you? Editor: Yes, I think that’s a helpful observation. So it's about tapping into cultural symbols? Curator: Precisely. These figures are not clearly defined, they're almost archetypal, which allows them to stand in for universal experiences of suffering, isolation, perhaps even resilience. The indistinct faces remove individual identity, suggesting shared fates. And, looking at the clustered arrangement, I’m curious: do you find any parallels to historical depictions of human suffering or captivity? Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way, but yes, there are echoes of images I’ve seen of displaced people, or even holocaust survivors… the lack of definition is definitely haunting. Curator: Exactly. And it is through these haunting, recurring motifs and visual languages that we understand cultural trauma is passed down. By tapping into our understanding of art’s relationship to visual memory we have the opportunity to understand both this work and ourselves on a much deeper level. Editor: This has completely shifted how I see this drawing. I’ll definitely look at Cuevas' work, and other modernists, with this lens from now on. Thanks!