The fisherman, tapestry 

Curator: Immediately, the intensity of the color draws me in. Editor: As it should. We’re looking at "The Fisherman, tapestry," by José de Almada-Negreiros. Although the precise date is unknown, the tapestry deploys the artist’s signature geometric style. Curator: It is remarkably bold. The fisherman’s figure is assembled from these striking angular planes. Look at his hat, the vivid clash of colors! It really speaks to the principles of Cubism. I feel how labor can become an abstracted, elemental struggle. Editor: I appreciate the attempt to capture the essence of the fisherman’s labor. But it's impossible to overlook that, for most viewers, the sea, the means of production, fishing will be romantic images. Even more when translated in the simplified patterns here. Curator: True. Although abstracted, certain enduring symbolic associations remain, like the labor archetype. Even the geometric abstraction contributes to that idea. Editor: Right. In what way do we, and perhaps Almada-Negreiros himself, project meanings onto the labor force that fit a broader political or social picture? Consider also this artist's social positioning, his relationship with power. Tapestries, generally speaking, adorned particular spaces or were circulated among particular audiences... Curator: And within that, it's crucial to consider what aspects of the image—its composition and iconography—serve that cultural memory. How are those meanings maintained? Editor: Perhaps by softening the more violent or grueling reality, or reinforcing ideal versions of work in relation to land. Curator: That brings so much nuance to this relatively simple composition. Thinking about labor, symbols, power… Editor: Indeed. A brief observation suddenly opens onto a vast network of cultural relations, hidden yet expressed in plain view.