Looping 1914

Editor: So, this is Félix Del Marle's "Looping," created around 1914. It appears to be a drawing using graphite and maybe charcoal. It strikes me as very architectural, almost like a blueprint that's been fragmented and rearranged. What do you see in this piece? Curator: What I see is a powerful example of Cubist visual language grappling with modernity. Del Marle isn't just exploring geometric form; he's deconstructing perception, reflecting the societal shifts and the fragmented realities of early 20th-century life. Consider that this work emerges just before the horrors of World War I. Does this abstraction, this breakdown of the figure, mirror the breakdown of established social structures? Editor: That’s a really interesting point about the impending war. So the fragmentation isn't just artistic, but maybe a reflection of social anxiety? Curator: Precisely. Look at the title "Looping". Is it about circularity and repetition, or a symbol of being caught in cycles of political unrest? Furthermore, the Cubist aesthetic, embraced by many artists of marginalized identities, provided avenues for them to reclaim agency in artmaking, challenging dominant visual norms. Del Marle's choices become active decisions with radical social potential. Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way. So, rather than just an aesthetic exercise, it's a statement? Curator: Yes, and these seemingly "abstract" choices have real political weight. Art becomes a powerful site of resistance when linked to intersectional struggles for visibility, justice, and freedom. Editor: This has completely changed how I see the drawing! I was so focused on the form, I didn’t connect it to the larger societal context. Curator: Understanding those historical connections gives artworks resonance and meaning. Editor: Absolutely. I'll never look at Cubism the same way. Thanks!