Bulto, probably San Antonio c. 1936

Editor: Here we have E. Boyd’s watercolor titled "Bulto, probably San Antonio" from around 1936. The subject's earnest expression, rendered with these wonderfully cartoonish lines, feels both reverent and oddly humorous to me. How do you interpret this work? Curator: That humor you're sensing? Delicious, isn't it? For me, Boyd captured something truly insightful there. I wonder, do you find a tension between the spiritual subject matter and the almost playful style of execution? Editor: Definitely! It's almost as if the artist is winking at the audience. The solemn subject with the sort of...exaggerated features, feels…cheeky? Curator: Precisely. This isn't mere caricature, though. Consider that E. Boyd wasn't just an artist but also a folklorist and conservator, deeply involved in preserving and understanding traditional New Mexican art. This cartoonish depiction becomes, in my eyes, a celebration, a way of making the sacred accessible, of humanizing the divine. Do you think this adds to, or distracts from, the spiritual impact? Editor: I think it really enhances the spiritual impact! It makes it less…lofty, somehow. More grounded and human, and that makes me, personally, more able to relate. It also says a lot about the artist too! Curator: Exactly! It encourages conversation and removes the intimidating, untouchable nature some attribute to it. Art is to be interpreted in one’s own way; an entry way and not a blocked passage. Food for thought, truly. Editor: I agree, food for thought. I’ll definitely be considering Boyd's piece, and bultos in general, a bit differently now. Thank you!