Wildcat Canyon 1886 - 1925

Editor: This is Ernest Haskell’s "Wildcat Canyon," dated between 1886 and 1925. It’s an etching, a pencil sketch really. The scene is delicate, almost ephemeral. What aspects of its materiality and production processes strike you most? Curator: I'm interested in the relationship between labor and landscape presented in "Wildcat Canyon." Think about the physicality involved in etching – the repetitive, demanding process of carving into the metal plate, in contrast with the image itself depicting nature. Doesn’t that give you pause? Editor: I see what you mean. There’s this tension between the manufactured aspect of the etching and the seemingly untouched scene. How would that affect an audience’s perception at the time? Curator: That's a key question. This tension reflects broader societal anxieties regarding industrialization's encroachment upon the natural world, doesn't it? This landscape is consumed, made a commodity. Even Haskell's choice of medium—etching—implicates him, and by extension the art consumer, in the same cycles of production and consumption. Consider the social context: What kind of market existed for these kinds of prints, and who were the people consuming them? Editor: I imagine this would have appealed to a growing middle class seeking affordable art. Curator: Exactly! Etchings allowed for wider distribution, democratizing art ownership but also potentially diluting its value as a unique object. Does the etching medium amplify or diminish the emotional impact for the viewer? Editor: I hadn't really thought about that. I suppose seeing it as a manufactured object changes my understanding of Haskell’s intentions… or maybe challenges the idea of pure artistic intentions altogether. Curator: Precisely. This challenges the traditional boundary between fine art and craft. Thinking about the materials and processes of production encourages a more nuanced understanding of the work, beyond purely aesthetic considerations. Editor: This way of analyzing art through its making has opened my eyes to the social and economic layers within it. Curator: Absolutely! Examining these elements helps reveal the complex relationship between art, labor, and consumerism in that historical period.