Bank c. 1939

Curator: This drawing by Aaron Fastovsky, titled "Bank" dates from around 1939. The medium appears to be drawing with ink. I’m struck by how its strange forms ask us to consider the interplay between nature, culture, and artistic production in a really unique way. Editor: Oh my! What a bizarre, wonderful little… creature. It feels plucked straight from a dream, with this bird-like form perched atop, what, a stylized pedestal? It's both familiar and utterly alien, casting such a curious, almost comical spell. Curator: Right, the "pedestal" really foregrounds ideas around display and commodification. And looking closely, that pedestal melts into webbed feet… Fastovsky here is merging the high-art connotations of a plinth with a primal, animalistic base. Do you see this subversion as deliberate? Editor: Absolutely! And the texture, the earthy tones—they scream materiality, don't they? It feels grounded, almost archaeological, as if unearthed from some long-lost civilization obsessed with birds as symbols of, maybe, finance. You know the title's gotta mean something about capital. Curator: Precisely! Given the date, circa 1939, it's tempting to read this through the lens of the Great Depression and anxieties around banking institutions. That "bank" isn't just a sculpture stand, it's the financial system, rendered as this… uncanny bird-idol. I find its very strangeness communicates that sentiment. Editor: A slightly monstrous idol, I’d argue! The color, the composition... It projects an aura of uncertainty. It seems this seemingly harmless critter may bite your hand off if given a chance. The piece evokes the fragility and unpredictable nature of economic stability of that period. Curator: It really shows the way artists are never really detached observers. Fastovsky here clearly critiques the very structures enabling the production and circulation of artworks, like this. Editor: It does—it feels as potent today as it must have back then. Curator: Thank you for this illuminating discussion. I agree that "Bank" is not only fascinating for its context but also offers timeless reflections on economy, display, and power. Editor: Agreed. Its enigmatic presence lingers, inviting viewers to question our own systems of value. A bizarre treasure!