Leaves of Grass: Hommage a Kennedy 1968

Curator: Ah, "Leaves of Grass: Hommage a Kennedy," a 1968 print by Moishe Smith. What do you see first when you look at it? Editor: I see contrast—stark whites against dense, scribbled lines. It’s like light pushing through a thicket. The texture, it seems very tactile even though it's a print. I immediately think about the physical labor of creating something with that kind of precision. Curator: Absolutely. And the choice of lilies, juxtaposed with that dense undergrowth. It’s as if they are luminous in this space, don't you think? The lines form blades of grass— almost oppressive around these symbolic flowers. The contrast really sings, almost violently. Editor: Definitely. The dense lines emphasize that stark contrast you pointed out. Makes you consider how much work went into creating depth using the labor and physicality behind printmaking—a sharp etching tool on metal? And look closely; are the lilies intentionally unfinished somehow? Are these symbols of purity interrupted by the means and marks of production? Curator: Perhaps. Consider the context. Nineteen sixty-eight. Kennedy's assassination was still fresh. Lilies often represent death, mourning and also…resurrection. Smith might be drawing a connection to Kennedy's ideals, fighting their way up through a turbulent time— like this print fighting to present images amongst trauma. A true emotional landscape in monochrome! Editor: Right, and printmaking, often considered a craft— it was quite popular among activist artists then because it can easily reproduce and spread a message to challenge boundaries between what is considered art or a simple reproducible commodity meant only for rapid consumption. How many prints could Smith make in a day versus how long each image lasted when pasted onto a wall? It really plays into the socio-political impact, and it must have mattered greatly to him. Curator: It’s hard to say. Perhaps this work represents the personal wrestling within political discourse—a constant battle to keep truth alive— while creating something aesthetically beautiful. Even the work's title feels important: A play off Whitman's "Leaves of Grass," adding another layer of reverence. Editor: Well said. "Leaves of Grass: Hommage a Kennedy” serves as both testament and a call to action… through the materials and process, as well as that era’s politics of production. The medium becomes the message… again. Curator: I’m so glad you saw that because to me, the image also feels very intimate— and yet you brought forth an understanding of its wider, socio-political context. Something deeply rooted in not only feeling but also production. I have a much fuller sense of its complexities now. Editor: Agreed, let's not forget the artist's own feelings are just another material here— worked and shaped as deliberately as metal plate and acid bath.