Crocodile 1961

Curator: Right, let's dive in. We're looking at "Crocodile," a woodblock print made by Helen Siegl in 1961. Editor: It's got a rather medieval, folkloric quality about it, almost like something you’d see in an old bestiary. Curator: The labor involved in carving the woodblock is certainly visible in the textured details, particularly on the crocodile's hide. It looks painstaking. Woodblock printing historically offered a more accessible mode of image production for dissemination. Editor: The artist certainly is playing with the historic perceptions of crocodiles. I notice below the image of the animal itself is an archaic, rather fanciful passage on crocodile behavior, how its gaze affects man. Does this lend insight into perceptions of the animal in culture? Curator: Yes, and given Siegl's broader interest in craft and design as it relates to folk traditions, I think it speaks to her engagement with a lineage of artisanal printing practices that move away from the mechanized mass production. Notice that texture isn’t obscured; the grain and character of the block add meaning. Editor: Exactly! It really highlights the inherent properties of the medium. Siegl has chosen her materials deliberately. It makes one consider the work required to bring such a medium into reality for the audience. The crocodile as an image is almost secondary to the technique. Curator: It's fascinating how she intertwines these threads: the cultural baggage of the crocodile myth, the tactile process of woodblock printing, and its potential as a mode of accessible artistic production. Editor: A truly insightful way of capturing how the cultural associations we bestow upon subjects in art and myth alike have resonance to this very day. Curator: Agreed. It gives me a renewed appreciation for this fascinating piece.