Elephant Girl 1990

Editor: Here we have James McGarrell's "Elephant Girl" from 1990, made with charcoal and other drawing media, a monochrome print. It's quite dreamlike and haunting. I’m struck by the almost sculptural quality of the elephant. What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: Immediately, I consider the labor invested in this work. The visible layering of charcoal – the sheer amount of material painstakingly applied and manipulated to create these forms - suggests a deep engagement with the means of production. Notice how the texture of the charcoal creates both the elephant's mass and its ethereal quality, blurring the line between the concrete and the imagined. Editor: That’s interesting! I was focused on the image itself, but the physical process makes the work more tangible. Does the narrative aspect—the "girl" with the elephant—tie into this at all? Curator: Precisely. Think about the societal constructs of "high art" versus "illustration." McGarrell uses these accessible, narrative elements but elevates them through the labor-intensive and skillful manipulation of his medium. The drawing challenges those traditional boundaries by insisting on its own materiality. It forces you to see the *making* of the art, not just the subject. The narrative element adds another layer to that making process and labor, inviting a wide audience. Editor: So, by focusing on the “how” rather than just the “what,” it kind of democratizes the artistic experience? Curator: Yes, the charcoal, normally a preparatory tool, *becomes* the artwork. The act of drawing, the very labor embedded in its creation, takes center stage. Does that change your perception of the piece? Editor: It does! I see it less as a straightforward illustration and more as a meditation on material and the process of creation. Curator: Exactly. That focus on material allows us to question what defines "art" and to value the labor inherent in all forms of making. Editor: I hadn’t considered it that way. It really highlights the choices the artist makes at every stage. Thank you!