The Harvest 1962

Curator: Alexander Calder's graphic work, "The Harvest," presents us with a stylized landscape. The printmaking technique emphasizes line and form. Editor: There's something stark and almost industrial about its simplicity, despite the title suggesting nature. The high contrast of black and white emphasizes the labor involved in creating it. Curator: Indeed. The title and imagery invite exploration of the agricultural labor force, particularly how migrant workers were often reduced to graphic representations, stripped of individual identity within larger economic systems. Editor: And those repetitive triangular shapes certainly evoke fields, or perhaps rows of crops. But they could also represent a more regimented, almost militaristic view of labor. Curator: Perhaps Calder intended to present this tension: the romantic ideal of the harvest against the backdrop of labor exploitation, a critique of the social hierarchy inherent in agricultural work. Editor: It’s a fascinating piece to consider, especially how the materials and their manipulation contribute to these complex layers of meaning. Curator: Absolutely, and its existence in the Harvard Art Museums allows ongoing dialogue about its themes.