Untitled (Jewelry series) 1977

Editor: This is Jay DeFeo's "Untitled (Jewelry series)" from 1977, created with charcoal and graphite. I'm struck by how dynamic and almost precarious the forms seem; the weight and materiality conveyed is intense. How do you read the composition in terms of process? Curator: For me, it’s about deciphering the artist's engagement with the materiality of drawing itself. Consider DeFeo’s labor: the deliberate strokes, the build-up of charcoal creating dark masses juxtaposed against lighter, airy graphite lines. Is she building form or deconstructing it? And what relationship could this bear with the idea of "jewelry" in the title? Editor: That’s a great question! Maybe she’s focusing on the raw materials of jewelry rather than the finished product. I'm thinking about the carbon and graphite –elements sourced from the earth, transformed into tools, then marks on paper... Curator: Precisely! Consider also the economic context. Is she engaging in a dialogue about value? Diamonds versus the humble charcoal? Also, think about the historical use of charcoal – preparatory sketches for larger works, quick studies… is she elevating this material, giving it center stage? Editor: So it’s almost a commentary on artistic production, showing the normally unseen, less ‘valuable’ stages of creating? A subversion, perhaps? Curator: Indeed. DeFeo is redirecting our attention. It prompts us to consider what we assign value to in art, what kind of labour, materials and intention we consider "precious," and how the artwork relates to larger material systems. Editor: I see now. By emphasizing the process and materials, she critiques traditional notions of artistic value, linking art more closely to labor and its underlying elements. Curator: Exactly. The “jewelry series” is a starting point for broader inquiries.