Tin Foil Still Life and Frame c. 1941

Curator: Take a moment to appreciate John Koehl’s “Tin Foil Still Life and Frame,” created around 1941. It presents a floral arrangement in an ornate frame. What’s your immediate response to this work? Editor: Honestly? It feels like looking at a precious memory viewed through a slightly cracked lens. The flowers, though rendered, seem a bit stiff and nostalgic, almost like they are trying too hard to remain pretty. Curator: That perceived stiffness might speak to the historical context. Still life, by the 1940s, was entrenched in art academies as a traditional genre—almost a demonstration of technical skill. How do you think Koehl engages with that tradition, perhaps during a time marked by societal stress with WWII? Editor: The title and frame intrigue me most. "Tin Foil Still Life"? There is a stark contrast to the rich tradition of oil paints. Maybe the choice to frame it with what seems like humble foil elements is saying something about material worth, shifting values in a time of scarcity? The grape details also provide that classicism. I can't help but wonder about the frame’s actual texture...smooth or bumpy? Curator: Exactly, Koehl plays with convention by utilizing a distinctly modern material while evoking the classical world of the vine with his artistic choice in presentation. The cracks do complicate the reading. Perhaps there's an acknowledgement of beauty's fragility amidst everything the world was facing. Editor: Perhaps! It brings me back to the tension in finding beauty within decay, doesn't it? Almost like seeing flowers pressed between the pages of a very old book. Curator: It definitely invites consideration beyond its pretty surface. We start to look beyond the art object toward a narrative—personal and historical. And that elevates the whole piece! Editor: You're right. It started off as quaint, and ends up giving so much to reflect on through materials, choices and the frame itself. Thanks! Curator: Thank you for walking through its possibilities. Hopefully it gives each viewer a bit of thought as they pass through the gallery today.