Untitled 1977

Editor: This is Stephen Cox's "Untitled" artwork, a rectangular piece with a bright yellow border. The materials look tactile, almost like handmade paper. What strikes you about the materiality of this piece? Curator: The visible process of creation here is key. Consider the labor involved in producing that paper, the visible fibers, the slight imperfections. It challenges the notion of a pristine, mass-produced art object. Where do you see the value placed: on the surface, or the means of production? Editor: I guess I see the value in its raw, human quality, knowing it wasn't manufactured perfectly. So, it's a comment on industrial production? Curator: Precisely! And perhaps, a reclaiming of craft, of the hand, within a world increasingly dominated by mechanical reproduction. It makes you consider the social context of art itself. Editor: Interesting! I'll definitely think about the process more when I look at art now.