Young Woman, Spain 1962

Curator: Isn't she lovely? There's a stillness about her. A kind of quiet gravity. Editor: There's certainly a reserved dignity in the work's stark execution and spare use of pencil on paper. Tell me a bit about this drawing? Curator: Of course. This is "Young Woman, Spain" by Arthur William Heintzelman, made in 1962. It's a portrait, as you can see, rendered simply with pencil on paper. The interesting thing is how much emotion is captured with so few lines. Editor: Yes, you see so much conveyed via these materials - a basic pencil, a blank page… They emphasize a commonness and availability, a demystification of the artistic process. He's portraying the "everywoman" rather than some celebrated ideal, a commentary, perhaps, on class and visibility. Curator: Perhaps. Or maybe he just found her beautiful, and wanted to capture a moment of her life, a glimpse of her soul. You know, I get such a sense of intimacy when I look at this drawing. She feels familiar, like someone I might have known. Editor: That 'familiarity' resonates through the labor involved. You see the artist’s hand so clearly. The deliberate strokes. There’s no erasure of the process, highlighting a sort of transparency in the making of the piece and underlining labor, a connection to those who produced not just the art but even the paper and the pencil used. Curator: I suppose there is something profoundly honest about the medium. Pencil. Paper. Almost childlike in its simplicity. But it feels right, doesn't it? As though any more detail would somehow ruin the magic of it. Editor: It makes me think of what we expect of images – their production, and consumption – and if “magic” exists perhaps it is more of what emerges from a raw, rather rudimentary making process? Something quite democratic in its reach and appeal. Curator: Maybe so. Either way, there’s no denying the drawing has a subtle power to stir your soul. Editor: Indeed. It urges one to reconsider our assumptions and interactions around art making, doesn't it? A thoughtful consideration of art and society and work...