99% NO.51 Sam 2013

Curator: Here we have Sedrick Huckaby's "99% NO.51 Sam," currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The immediacy of the lines! They capture a certain weariness, a palpable weight, wouldn't you agree? Curator: Indeed. Consider the hatch marks, their density giving form to the sitter's face, the almost frenetic energy around the collar. The drawing itself becomes a study in tonal value created through line. Editor: I'm more struck by the medium, the simple pencil, and the artist's hand so plainly visible. This isn't about illusion; it's about the labor of representation, the artist's interaction with his subject. Curator: Perhaps. But note the composition, the way the sitter's gaze directs us beyond the frame, creating a narrative beyond what is explicitly shown. Editor: Ultimately, it’s the trace of the pencil and the choices made during the artistic process that resonate. Thanks to this humble medium, we have something powerful. Curator: I think we both appreciate the artist's choices, even if we interpret them differently.