Poet, Gabriella Baumberg 

Editor: So, this is Maria Bozoky’s "Poet, Gabriella Baumberg", a watercolor painting. I’m immediately drawn to the delicate, almost ephemeral quality of the watercolor and the expressiveness. It’s so loose! How can one begin to think about approaching this artwork? Curator: The looseness you describe actually gives us a fantastic entry point. Note the artist's conscious decision to prioritize the fluid materiality of watercolor. How does this choice inform our understanding of the subject? Does the lack of precision equate with the traditionally free thinking of poets? Editor: Interesting! I hadn't considered that. The fluidity really captures the feeling of… maybe the messy process of writing? The paper seems almost raw too. Curator: Exactly. Think about the paper itself as a manufactured surface, commodified and consumed. What statement might the artist be making by exposing its absorbent qualities to the washes? Do the runs and bleeds point towards something inherent to the cultural function of the writing profession? How many iterations does the 'poet' work on before presenting? What is accepted? Editor: I guess the messiness highlights the labor involved, taking it away from a romantic ideal of a poet with instant inspiration, and focusing more on what actually went into its realization. That perspective transforms my idea of the artwork. I initially just saw a portrait, but it speaks about materiality. Curator: And do we see here class boundaries, in the simple making available, to some, of ink and paper? Editor: True. That’s given me a totally new way to consider how artistic choices convey so much more than just the subject matter. Curator: Indeed, from process to paper, a complex tapestry unfolds!