Study for 'Nocturne, Wynyard Square' 1932

Editor: This is Dorrit Black's pencil drawing, "Study for 'Nocturne, Wynyard Square'," created in 1932. The cityscape feels really fragmented and almost…futuristic, despite being made nearly a century ago. How do you interpret this work, considering its historical context? Curator: It’s crucial to remember that Black made this during the interwar period, a time of intense social and political upheaval. Cubism, which informs this piece, wasn't just about breaking down form. For many artists, particularly women like Black, it was about dismantling traditional power structures, questioning conventional representation and finding a visual language that resonated with this new era. Do you see how the fracturing and reconstruction of space might symbolize that? Editor: I do, now that you mention it! It's like she’s visually deconstructing Sydney, then building it back, not as it was, but… potentially as it could be? The inclusion of modern elements within a cubist framework feels quite intentional now. Curator: Exactly! It's not just a pretty cityscape. It’s about grappling with modernity and the rapid changes impacting society, especially in a colonial context. What does it mean to build a 'new' city, whose narratives are being valued and whose erased? The use of such simple material, a pencil, heightens the contrast against the grand subject, what's your reading of it? Editor: I never thought about the simplicity of the pencil versus the complex subject. Maybe that’s emphasizing the accessibility of imagining a new future? You don't need grand tools, just a vision. Curator: Precisely. Black is prompting us to actively engage with and reshape our surroundings through our vision of equity and empowerment. The drawing ceases to be only about the subject (the cityscape), but how that imagery engages each of us. Editor: This has definitely changed how I see the artwork; it’s more than just a study, it's a statement! Curator: Yes, it's an invitation to keep questioning the stories that buildings are telling.