When Law Dulls the Edge of Chance 1915

Editor: So, this is Charles Russell's "When Law Dulls the Edge of Chance," painted in 1915 using oil paint. The way the artist depicts this encounter on the canvas makes it appear as if law and order are encroaching on what once was a wild territory. What details jump out at you? Curator: Well, considering the painting’s creation at the dawn of mass production, look at the figures: we have men and horses painted with an acute eye for detail, each differentiated. Note how their clothes are rendered using various techniques – see the tailoring of the Mountie’s red coat versus the varied, perhaps self-made or at least customized, garments worn by the others. This suggests differing relationships to industrial processes. It shows levels of power as commodities. Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn’t considered. The material differences symbolizing varying access is a striking element when you view it in that light. So, are you saying it highlights inequalities present in the settlement of the West? Curator: Precisely. The “law” of the title is made material through the Mountie’s uniform – manufactured and standardized. In contrast, the other figures' garb might tell stories of adaptation, local trade, and resistance to complete homogenization. Who made their clothing? What materials did they use, and how did they acquire them? These questions open a rich view of historical materialism at play. Editor: Thinking about it that way, it reveals so much more about the painting beyond just a simple depiction of a historical moment. It's a clash of manufacturing versus raw materiality. Curator: Exactly. And even consider the horse tack; saddles, bridles – were these mass-produced or handcrafted? It underscores the tension between a rapidly industrializing world and traditional modes of production and subsistence. Editor: I will definitely look more closely at Russell’s work going forward. Thank you for that deeper, material analysis. Curator: My pleasure. I'm glad you have found new context within which to see the work.