Gesture of the Calla, 2 1985 - 1986

Curator: Here we have Michael Mazur's "Gesture of the Calla, 2," currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. It measures about 76 by 57 centimeters. Editor: It's strikingly dramatic! The deep blacks and the way the form emerges feels almost theatrical, a stark spotlight on a single, delicate subject. Curator: Indeed. Mazur was deeply invested in printmaking processes. His experimentation with lithography allowed for these rich tonal gradations. The lack of precise dating suggests a focus on the iterative process. Editor: The social context of flower imagery is fascinating. Calla lilies are often associated with funerals, but also rebirth. How does that tension play out given the stark visual presentation? Curator: It underscores the material fragility of the flower itself, a product of labor and cultivation presented in a rarefied gallery space, stripped of its original context. Editor: Food for thought. I'll certainly view floral works differently going forward. Curator: It’s a reminder that even the simplest image holds layers of history and production.