Barometer c. 1937

Editor: This is William Spiecker's "Barometer," made around 1937 with pencil in a realism style. It looks almost like a straightforward documentation of an object, but its isolation on the page gives it a strangely haunting quality. How do you see this work? Curator: That's a great starting point. When I look at this drawing, I immediately think about the social function of objects, especially scientific instruments like a barometer. In the late 1930s, people were very aware of their environment due to economic hardship caused by weather-related problems. To accurately document something such as a barometer could be a statement to its cultural background at the time. Does this depiction elevate its subject, or perhaps subtly critique its role? Editor: I see what you mean. So, its "realism" is almost like a stage for a cultural object. It isn't necessarily beautiful. Curator: Precisely! It’s realism deployed strategically. Consider how institutions like museums present objects—do they democratize knowledge or reinforce existing hierarchies? A barometer in the home signified a certain level of aspiration toward scientific understanding but also relative prosperity to afford an item of that status. In that case, the cultural influence surrounding the image starts to impact its status more than its subject does. Editor: So, by placing it here, Spiecker subtly draws attention to class and social mobility… things I definitely missed initially! I was just looking at the pretty picture of the barometer. Curator: It's easy to do, especially without the wider picture. It prompts questions about who used these instruments and what anxieties or hopes they represented in that particular era. Editor: This has given me a whole new way of viewing everyday items and how an artist can spotlight their cultural baggage!