Coolie with Sun Hat 1921

Editor: So, this is Svend Rathsack's "Coolie with Sun Hat" from 1921. It's a terracotta sculpture, and I'm immediately struck by the raw texture of the material. It looks so… handmade. What's your take on it? Curator: Handmade is key here. Note the material choice: terracotta, an accessible, common clay. Consider who is typically using that material – not traditionally “high art” sculptors. Instead, it’s artisans and craftspeople. Rathsack elevates this material and, in doing so, forces us to reconsider the value we place on labor. Does this sculpture challenge traditional boundaries between art and craft in your opinion? Editor: Absolutely. Seeing the figure and knowing the title, I'm wondering about the colonial implications of Rathsack, a Danish artist, depicting an Asian worker. Does the material – that common clay you mentioned – play into that relationship somehow? Curator: Precisely. The “lowly” material mirrors the social position of the “coolie” depicted. It begs the question: Is Rathsack critiquing or perpetuating existing power structures through his choice of terracotta and subject? Who has access to what materials and who is depicted in which form? Editor: So it's not just about the aesthetic quality but also the socio-political context surrounding the work and the materials used. The accessibility of terracotta, juxtaposed with the depiction of a labourer, raises important questions about class and cultural representation. Curator: Exactly. It urges us to analyze not only the "what" but the "how" and "why" of art production. We must consider its role within society, especially class, labour and the available materials. Editor: I never thought about it quite like that before. Seeing art through the lens of its materials and production really opens up a whole new dimension. Curator: Indeed, and a materialist perspective can really re-frame our perspective of what art is, its value, its history.