Andirons c. 1937

Curator: Here we have Dana Bartlett's watercolor drawing, "Andirons," estimated to have been created around 1937. Editor: The sheen on those andirons practically leaps off the page! It's hard to believe this is watercolor; the luminescence almost fools you into thinking it's polished brass or gold. Curator: Absolutely, and consider the context. During the Depression era, there was a surge in craft and design innovation as artists sought new markets, looking to objects for practical, aesthetic improvement in domestic settings, beyond the reach of galleries. This piece speaks to that moment. Editor: True, the image almost functions like a catalog design, showcasing not only aesthetics but construction, the careful balance of curves and angles—the drawing really highlights the maker’s understanding of the fabrication process and design integrity. How interesting to see art employed for industry, rather than the pedestal! Curator: Precisely! There was a prevailing democratizing force; that art had a social responsibility, that good design should be available to all. Even through art. One thing I see here is that these sort of decorative works actually make up an element that turns private space public as social space. It says something about what and who is welcome in one’s home, through these markers. Editor: It begs questions on labor; while watercolor here is fairly representational, one questions who actually did create those andirons and what did it represent for that community and their livelihood. How was that gold polish applied, the casting of metal. Even design does carry certain privilege but production carries something else for these andirons. Even more importantly is asking ourselves whether are we still burning fire? What it meant that in mid 30's Bartlett wanted to celebrate Andiron and what the drawing would mean in twenty twenty-four? Curator: A fantastic point. Today, as we reckon with environmental shifts and evolving design philosophies, contemplating an artifact intended for hearth fires is a provocative and important study, both aesthetically and ecologically. Editor: Agreed, and I think seeing it presented with all this craftsmanship and with drawing as medium, emphasizes these very questions with more depth. It is time we put object and materiality in conversation.