Rear Pose 1937

Curator: Here we have "Rear Pose," a 1937 drawing by Kaye Waters, primarily using pencil and charcoal. What catches your eye? Editor: Immediately, there's a sense of melancholy; the averted gaze and the subdued tones create a quiet, contemplative mood. It also has this somewhat odd abstract construction that almost seems modernist. Curator: I'm interested in the deliberate choice of medium here. The blending of pencil and charcoal allowed Waters to achieve a unique level of tonal gradation, particularly in rendering the texture of the skin and the draped fabric. Charcoal, historically affordable and widely available, also hints at a wider production and audience for this type of work in its time. Editor: I'm more struck by how she chose to portray this figure, the pose almost evokes vulnerability but also, in a sense, timelessness. The symbolism of the female nude, particularly from this perspective, can carry layers of meaning, from classical ideals of beauty to more personal, introspective themes. The cascade of hair acts like a kind of symbolic veil. Curator: Certainly, the handling of the drape introduces elements of texture and visual interest, highlighting her mastery of the medium but more fundamentally, the inclusion of fabric speaks to the industrial production involved. How the depicted cloth moves from loom to representation introduces questions of labour. Editor: What is so poignant is how it contrasts the fleeting nature of human existence, and human vulnerability. Its message feels especially charged, considering when it was made. Curator: Ultimately, what intrigues me most is how Waters transforms commonplace, industrial materials into a moment of perceived artistic skill, while at the same time using the symbol of a single model, laboring for their income. Editor: And for me, it’s that haunting feeling. A meditation on vulnerability.