Carmen 1929

Rolf Armstrong made this glamour portrait of a dancer, Carmen, using pastels on paper. The artwork’s material influences its appearance; the inherent qualities of pastels allowed Armstrong to achieve soft, luminous skin tones and subtle gradations of color. Pastel, as opposed to oil paint, for instance, allows for a matte effect and a directness of application. The rendering of the lacy fan and shawl also speaks to a reproductive process, which belongs to histories of commercial art rather than high art. This reflects the context in which it was made; mass media. The amount of work involved in creating this kind of image was considerable; there are records of Armstrong working with teams of assistants, using photography as source material for his works. So, thinking about materials, making, and context helps us to understand the full meaning of the artwork, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.