Cotton Pickers (left panel) 1935

Editor: So, this is "Cotton Pickers (left panel)" created by Helen West Heller in 1935, using a woodcut technique. There's a strong sense of movement and labor in it, even though it's static. What is your initial impression, how do you interpret the scene? Curator: Immediately, I’m struck by the stark contrast of black and white, it feels incredibly immediate, raw, like a woodcut scream. Look how Heller uses pattern to define space— the repetitive foliage in the background, the intricate weave of the baskets. They become almost hypnotic. What do you make of the figures' stooped postures? Do they convey resignation, resilience, or something else entirely? Editor: I think there's a definite sense of weariness, but also dignity in the way the figures are depicted. It's like they're persevering despite the circumstances. And the patterning creates this claustrophobic feeling almost. Curator: Yes, and those patterns feel deliberate, right? As though they might signify, on one hand, an idealized southern plantation fantasy but, on the other hand, echo, perhaps unconsciously, visual forms associated with African diasporic cultures and artistic traditions. Heller's carving reminds us, doesn’t it, how fraught any depiction of labor – particularly this history of forced labor – really is? How much interpretation relies on who is doing the telling? Editor: That makes me see it in a new light. It's more than just a depiction of work; it's a statement about history, representation, and, really, the complexity of American identity. Curator: Exactly. The power of art, isn't it, to both show us and challenge us? Editor: Definitely given me a lot to consider.