Decorative Ironwork & Locksmith Sign c. 1939

Curator: Isn’t that lovely? A dreamy little vision. It's Ray Price's watercolour and drawing, titled “Decorative Ironwork & Locksmith Sign” from around 1939. Editor: The colors give it a melancholic feel, like an old, faded photograph. It’s curious to see watercolor depicting such hard materials as iron and steel. The composition is straightforward—central image on a blank canvas, no frills, but effective. Curator: Effective is the perfect word! It's like gazing into a blacksmith's most poetic daydream, you know? The anvil sitting there with that grandiose key arising from it… It evokes a kind of fairytale feeling. It’s curious, too, that these heavy industrial objects seem to float against a soft backdrop. Editor: Precisely. It asks questions about labor and what objects signify. The anvil represents physical toil, of course. But the decorative base suggests it’s more than just a tool; it's been elevated. The key is even grander—a symbolic representation of craft. It reminds me that blacksmiths weren't *just* industrial workers. They had a specialized skill—a certain mastery. Curator: Absolutely! The key represents potential. Think about what a key unlocks, metaphorically! Knowledge, perhaps? This watercolor transcends simply being a pretty rendering. Editor: Agreed. And the medium reinforces that point. A drawing and watercolour are, compared to forging iron, gentle and less… masculine, let’s say. Highlighting metalwork this way acknowledges craftsmanship, care, design—the artistic aspects often overlooked when we talk about industry. And the cross-shaped key further plays with symbols; I wonder, if religion had to play any role. Curator: I hadn't even thought about the key's cross detail; perhaps the key unlocks spiritual ideas too. Overall, it's rather delightful, don't you think? I find myself longing for something—the opening of some fabled door. Editor: Me too. I started out seeing faded labor, and now I feel it’s about craftsmanship, identity, and the surprisingly intimate act of making. Curator: It's amazing how much emerges when we really *see* something.