Tree at The Corner 24 - 1862

Editor: This is Jervis McEntee's "Tree at The Corner," a delicate pencil drawing. It feels so simple, almost stark. What can you tell us about this piece? Curator: The paper itself, and the evident marks of the pencil, are crucial. McEntee's labor, the repetitive act of sketching, transforms humble materials into something we now consider art. How does its status as a drawing, a preparatory act, influence our consumption of it? Editor: That's interesting. It makes me think about the value we place on finished artworks versus process. Curator: Exactly. And what social structures elevate some materials and processes over others? Considering that enriches the experience.