Chest 1935 - 1942

Curator: Well, here we have a mixed-media drawing, probably from between 1935 and 1942, by Thomas Watts entitled "Chest." Editor: The palette is striking! The dark ground, perhaps a ceramic-like base, immediately frames the vibrancy of the floral details, it lends it a cheerful aesthetic with a hint of austerity. Curator: Absolutely. Notice how the gold embellishments aren't merely decorative but accentuate the structural components of the chest? Consider the materiality itself, with potential ceramic alongside what looks like ink and watercolor on paper. Editor: I'm captivated by the curves—how each line serves as an integral component, whether it's the golden patterns adorning the lid or the floral motif front and center. Curator: I wonder about the origins of the artisan himself, Watts. Its roots seem deep in the realm of folk art. One ponders where it might have been displayed, and how those of his time understood its value. Was it celebrated? Functional? Was the labor that birthed the work dignified and seen? Editor: Those are important questions but stepping back, consider the organization here, from its symmetrical orientation on a black void. See how its bilateral floral motifs meet on an axial core; the harmony within it all provides order. Curator: It reminds me of the ways labor and the handcrafted merge in many communities. Objects carry cultural memories. Was the painter creating these with particular communal traditions? It pushes our notions of art beyond the traditional scope. Editor: I can concede the symbolism resonates deeply as to the role and placement this might have had. I might venture, however, the aesthetic force the art possesses rests just as importantly in Watts' manipulation of visual components. The lines sing on this box. Curator: In this drawing, Watts creates more than visual delight, they document folkcraft history through an intimate interaction that prompts us to recognize material histories within the art. Editor: The art here goes beyond functional record; what resonates is the way it can reawaken us, to see lines, shape, and pattern in simple arrangement, anew!