Toleware Sugar Bowl c. 1938

This Toleware Sugar Bowl was made by Philip Johnson, we’re not sure exactly when, but let’s say it came into being like a carefully iced cake, layer upon layer, decorated with sweet confectionary. The bowl is illustrated using simple lines and shapes, and a palette of brown, yellow, green and red. I can imagine Johnson hunched over this bowl thinking about its form and function. He repeats motifs and varies the tones, perhaps because he wanted to create a sense of energy. Maybe he liked the idea of making something ordinary a bit more special. The roses on the lid and the little golden loops feel like tiny gestures of love for the object, and the person who might use it. The little red berries and green leaves around the rim speak of a pleasure in the everyday. It feels connected to other paintings and painted things, all those artists and craftspeople over time who decided to take the stuff of the world and make it their own. That’s the tradition this work speaks to, an ongoing conversation between artists, things and time.