Cimino Barbarano 1929

Editor: This is M.C. Escher’s "Cimino Barbarano," created in 1929. It’s an etching, and the way Escher has depicted this Italian town is fascinating. There's a dreamlike quality to it. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I'm drawn to the physicality of Escher's process here. Consider the labour involved in producing this etching. Each line, each shadow, carefully etched into the metal plate. Think about the industrial processes required to produce the materials—the metal, the ink, the paper. How does the act of etching, this incredibly detailed, almost obsessive act, influence our understanding of the landscape itself? Editor: That’s interesting! I hadn’t considered the labour so closely. So, you’re saying that the medium itself contributes to the artistic message? Curator: Absolutely! The repetitive nature of etching mirrors the repetitive patterns within the landscape and architecture. The high contrast achievable through the medium emphasizes the sharp divisions, perhaps alluding to social divisions or even the division between nature and the built environment. What about the paper and ink? Those resources had to come from somewhere. How does their extraction and production inform the way we view this idealized cityscape? Editor: That adds a whole other layer! I was focused on the buildings and the mountains as just representational. Curator: And even further: consider this a ‘print’ meant for circulation and consumption by many; the labour of creating the original stands in stark contrast to the intention of reproduction by a consumer-based society, imbuing it with yet another, competing dimension. Editor: Wow, I will never look at an Escher print the same way! Considering the materiality changes everything. Curator: Precisely. It makes you think about the whole system of art making and its role in society.