Surf, Cohasset 1905

Editor: Maurice Prendergast’s watercolor, "Surf, Cohasset," painted in 1905, is wonderfully light and breezy. The figures seem almost like doll-like objects placed along the rough shoreline. What are your thoughts on this piece? Curator: The materiality of this watercolor emphasizes the accessibility of leisure at the turn of the century. It speaks volumes that Prendergast chose a relatively inexpensive and easily portable medium to capture this scene of upper-middle-class leisure. The rough, broken brushstrokes mimic the fleeting quality of leisure time, almost as if mass production influences this aesthetic. Editor: Mass production, even with watercolor? Curator: Yes! Consider the availability of ready-made paints and paper at that time. The Industrial Revolution broadened the availability of art supplies. Therefore, shouldn't we view "high art" as intertwined with this wider consumer culture? Also, how does the perspective impact your understanding? Editor: Good point, there's something about being "on the shore" together. The loose brushwork really evokes the feeling of splashing waves, though. It is interesting to consider his material choices, how a seemingly traditional medium actually democratized painting. It makes you think about the art market differently. Curator: Precisely! Focusing on the material realities – who had access to create and what messages were being conveyed through accessible art forms – complicates conventional notions of artistic genius. It shows that making art wasn't some lofty, separate undertaking.