End of the Trail II 1962

Editor: This is "End of the Trail II" by Philip Evergood, made in 1962, using ink and watercolor. I find the chaotic lines and earthy tones quite evocative. What strikes you most when you look at it? Curator: The layering of materials is what immediately grabs my attention. Notice how the artist juxtaposes the fluidity of watercolor with the rigid mark-making of ink. Why do you think Evergood chose to combine these materials? Editor: Perhaps to represent the duality of nature versus industrialization, if we are considering a materialist point of view? The softness of nature depicted by watercolor contrasting with human intervention using rigid tools such as those used for ink? Curator: Precisely. And if we dig deeper, who had access to these materials at this time? The paper itself – what industry produced it and what labor was involved in its creation? Are we seeing a democratization of art materials, or is their use still determined by certain social hierarchies? Editor: So you’re saying even the accessibility of materials speaks to larger socio-economic systems? Curator: Exactly. Consider also the implied labor in the piece itself. The frenetic mark-making could represent the anxieties of the modern age, or even Evergood’s own labor of production. Does this labor elevate the piece or does it, in some way, cheapen it? Does it matter? Editor: It’s fascinating to think about the role of production extending beyond the image itself and looking at how it was manufactured. It offers so much insight! Curator: Absolutely. This is the conversation of materiality. Every choice, from the type of ink to the brand of watercolor, holds significance within the context of production, labor, and ultimately, meaning.