Study for ‘The Pigeon Fanciers’ c. 1928

Editor: This is William Roberts' "Study for 'The Pigeon Fanciers.'" It looks like a preparatory drawing for a larger work, maybe charcoal on paper. The figures are so blocky and seem to huddle together. What can you tell me about it? Curator: The grid overlaid on the paper reveals Roberts’s meticulous process. It points to a systemized approach to production, focusing on the labor involved in translating observation into constructed form. Note also the way the figures’ clothing is rendered uniformly, erasing individuality. Editor: Interesting! So you're saying it's less about the pigeons and more about the act of depiction itself? Curator: Precisely. Roberts directs our attention to the act of artistic construction and the social context of labour that informs it. The materials themselves, charcoal and paper, become significant. Editor: I never thought of it that way. It's like the drawing is revealing its own making. Curator: Exactly. Reflecting on the artist's labor and material choices gives this study much more depth.