Downloading The Harvest 

Jesús Meneses del Barco created this watercolor painting, “Downloading The Harvest,” using pigments suspended in water. The artist applied delicate layers of color to evoke the shimmering heat of the field. What's interesting is how Meneses del Barco chose to represent the labor-intensive process of harvesting. Notice the hay, rendered in strokes of yellow and brown, and the figures loading bundles onto a cart. The painting acknowledges the labor, politics, and consumption involved in agricultural production, and the materials used. The artist focused on the ways in which the field's material influences its appearance. The inherent qualities of the field's substance, texture, weight, color, and form have been described using a specific process, imbuing the artwork with social and cultural significance. By emphasizing these elements, Meneses del Barco challenges the traditional distinctions between fine art and craft. He reminds us that art can be found in the everyday, and that the materials and processes used to create it are just as important as the final product.