Plate 12: Saint Rita: From Portfolio "Spanish Colonial Designs of New Mexico" 1935 - 1942

Editor: This is Plate 12: Saint Rita, a watercolor drawing made sometime between 1935 and 1942. It's striking in its simplicity; almost like a child's drawing, but there’s a powerful presence to the figure. How do you see this work? Curator: What interests me here is how the image transforms devotional craft production. Look closely at the materials. Watercolor and drawing, rather than traditional sculptural forms or oil paintings, make the figure more accessible. This choice reflects a specific set of economic conditions and material constraints. What kind of access do you think this allows, especially considering its folk-art qualities? Editor: It feels less intimidating, perhaps? Like it could be something anyone could create in their home, rather than something reserved for wealthy patrons of the arts. It seems so raw and deliberately simple, more about direct connection than refinement. Curator: Precisely. It also disrupts the traditional hierarchy of art, doesn't it? By utilizing readily available and less expensive materials, the creation of this image shifts the focus away from purely aesthetic or artistic value and redirects it to labor and access. Is there something to learn by bringing art production and local economic realities closer together, so that they affect each other directly? Editor: Definitely! It forces you to reconsider art not as an untouchable "masterpiece" but as something deeply intertwined with the everyday lives and resources of its creators and audience. The choice of humble materials democratizes the creation, connecting to indigenous production practices. It brings everything closer to the community level. Curator: And that recontextualization reframes the devotional image itself. Instead of just the veneration of Saint Rita, this folk interpretation serves to value a culture of creative accessibility. It reminds us of the production of art in connection with accessible materials and the role of labor. Editor: I never considered how materials themselves could be such a critical part of the message! This has been so enlightening. Curator: Indeed, looking at these pieces brings a completely different appreciation for their social meaning.