Mecha (Cigarette Lighter) 1935 - 1942

Curator: What a peculiar item. At first glance, the drawing seems almost whimsical with its soft colors and playful composition. Editor: Yes, it’s interesting how the watercolor creates such a tactile illusion; the fuzzy pompoms almost beckon you to touch them. Before us is a work titled “Mecha (Cigarette Lighter)," attributed to Ann Gene Buckley, made sometime between 1935 and 1942. It depicts…well, what appears to be a decorative object. Curator: Decorative indeed, but what's most compelling is its materiality. It looks as though the piece contains some form of macrame cord or rope connected to small pompoms. One must ponder the value assigned to handcraft in the mid-20th century. How do these "craft" traditions intersect with more "formal" art practices, like watercolor? Editor: It raises fascinating questions about the institutional framing of art. Consider the cultural context. Buckley creates this piece, and it survives until it is preserved, accessioned and studied today. I imagine in the 1930s the object itself may have served as a signifier of social status or simply, even now, this speaks to me of a gift or remembrance token with powerful sentimentality or ritualistic importance. Curator: Right. And given the title mentions a cigarette lighter, there is the unavoidable reference to mass production and consumption, of that era, adding yet another layer. Is Buckley celebrating the functional art that exists in even the smallest object? Or is she simply archiving its memory in anticipation of obsolescence? The artist here appears as someone concerned with objects that bridge utility and beauty, that speak to labor but were not viewed as "work," rather "accomplishment." Editor: Or is she highlighting that such labor has long remained undervalued or rendered invisible when considered within the artistic world? The lighter has clearly been adapted and augmented via handmade decorations. Buckley encourages an alternative perspective; even though the artifact and its context might seem simple, she encourages us to look more closely. Curator: Exactly. It forces a rethinking of the categories of art. Editor: And prompts us to acknowledge art’s role in shaping identities. I feel encouraged by the piece. Curator: Agreed, I have developed a fascination for cigarette lighters! This encounter emphasizes that every object, even the most commonplace, carries intricate narratives of labor and consumerism.