Joyce 1924

Editor: So, this is "Joyce" by Albert Belleroche, a charcoal and pencil drawing from 1924. I’m really struck by how soft the rendering is, especially the subtle shading. What draws your attention when you look at it? Curator: It’s precisely this soft rendering, the manipulation of charcoal and pencil on paper, that speaks volumes. Belleroche wasn't just creating a likeness; he was engaging in a physical process with specific materials. How do the material choices affect your understanding of the subject? Editor: That's interesting... the softness does almost romanticize her, or maybe idealize her. Would it have a different effect if it was, say, an etching? Curator: Absolutely. An etching, with its sharp lines and acid-etched process, would have introduced a degree of industrialization, creating distance and removing the direct trace of the artist's hand. Here, Belleroche foregrounds the act of drawing itself. Think about the accessibility of these materials in the 1920s. Who would have had access to them and the skill to wield them like this? Editor: Right, it probably points to a certain level of class privilege to be able to spend time mastering drawing and obtaining these materials... Curator: Exactly. And how does understanding the means of production influence how we interpret the sitter’s gaze and expression? Does it make you question the image’s intent? Editor: It definitely does. I'm thinking less about a pure representation now, and more about the context that made the work possible in the first place. I hadn't considered how much the materiality shapes my perception. Curator: Seeing the work through its material creation definitely shifts perspective. Editor: Thanks! Thinking about the social and economic factors intertwined with artmaking has really expanded my understanding. Curator: Likewise! Focusing on the material reality can often reveal more than just aesthetic preferences.