Fish Woodcarving c. 1938

Curator: The Selmer-Larsen collection boasts a lovely watercolor and tempera work from around 1938 entitled, simply, "Fish Woodcarving." It seems deceptively straightforward. Editor: It has an almost antiquated feel. Quietly resolute, if a fish can be resolute. I suppose what I’m responding to is its precise rendering against this stark background, emphasizing the craft of representation. Curator: Precisely! Understanding Selmer-Larsen, one must acknowledge the sociopolitical landscape from which she emerged. What seems like a simple fish rendering is an act of preservation, and even quiet defiance, against homogenization. The question I want to ask is: What statements is she trying to make with an artwork that looks so utterly unassuming? Editor: Do you mean, given the time, is the fish a symbol? The fishing industry was certainly key to identity and the social fabric of certain communities. Is it a statement on class? The artist attempting to hold onto tradition amid rapid change? Curator: It's definitely a potent symbol. Looking closely, the artist clearly rendered not just the color but a very clear drawing as well. Even down to the peculiar detail of the eye, slightly glossed, and set off-center. Consider its title "Fish Woodcarving" alongside Selmer-Larsen's attention to the scales: what is she communicating by invoking a connection between nature, craft, and labor? Editor: I agree with your analysis. Art, after all, exists not in a vacuum. Looking through a modern lens we have to consider the context in which Selmer-Larsen produced this image: social dynamics, power structures, the place of fishing. Curator: It gives one a lot to consider, the role this image had. We aren't dealing just with the illustration of the natural world, but of culture. The artist captures and reframes the intersection of society and environment. Editor: Yes, absolutely. It appears rather unassuming at first glance but in its creation we may read an index of culture, class, and identity.