Pipe Bowl c. 1938

Editor: Here we have "Pipe Bowl," a pencil drawing from around 1938 by Carl Keksi. There's something very methodical in the way the pipe is rendered, like a technical drawing. How do you interpret this work? Curator: This seemingly simple drawing invites us to consider the complexities of representation and cultural identity. Think about the function of the pipe itself: traditionally a tool often associated with ritual, contemplation, and also colonialism and trade. Whose ritual? Whose contemplation? Editor: I hadn't thought about it like that, it just seemed like an object study. Curator: Precisely, but even seemingly objective renderings are steeped in cultural narratives. Notice how the drawing includes multiple perspectives of the pipe, almost deconstructing it. It compels us to ask, who gets to represent whom and how does the act of representation perpetuate or challenge existing power structures? What does it mean to take something like a pipe, imbued with colonial history, and depict it through an academic lens? Editor: So you're saying it's not just a pipe, it's about the power dynamics inherent in seeing and depicting other cultures? Curator: Exactly. Keksi invites us to be critical viewers, to question the seemingly neutral gaze of art and to acknowledge the embedded histories within these objects. Think about the legacy of colonialism. Are there any hidden signs of oppression in this drawing? What do you see? Editor: It is unsettling when you put it that way. I will look differently at these objects now. Curator: Precisely the point! Art is rarely neutral. Recognizing the historical and social contexts transforms our understanding. Editor: Definitely given me a lot to consider! Thanks.