Silver Shaker 1935 - 1942

Curator: This watercolor, charcoal, and pencil drawing presents us with a gleaming, almost ghostly rendering of a silver shaker. Created by Eugene Barrell sometime between 1935 and 1942, it exudes a simple, quiet charm. What is your first impression? Editor: A sense of reserved elegance, certainly. The soft, diffused lighting and limited color palette create a sort of dreamlike image of domesticity. The form itself, while simple, has this echoing form to what would otherwise be recognized in religious symbols. The container almost evokes vessel imagery, perhaps something chalice-like. Curator: Interesting! Considering the period, one wonders if this drawing served a functional purpose within the context of industrial design or a marketing campaign. Shakers such as this became prominent during the mid-20th century, reflecting changing tastes. This period placed great value on streamline aesthetics that brought this object into a streamlined existence within society. Editor: I’m struck by the careful attention to detail in rendering the perforation patterns and the subtle gradations of light across its surface. The silver is meant to have inherent luxury or wealth, but in the almost dream-like manner the image takes on there is no harsh materialism to be gained here, only a faint image of perfection in presentation of this object. Curator: Indeed. It reminds us that everyday objects carry historical significance, reflecting cultural trends and manufacturing processes. Drawings like this also offer insight into the evolving role of artists in commercial settings, and the integration of fine art techniques in service to industry. It's worth remembering how "precious" or otherwise, mundane or sentimental objects gain value or memory as it evolves with its user. Editor: Exactly! The artistic and practical blending creates something almost…sacred, again, if that wasn’t read earlier in my voice I encourage all to take note that there is some sort of echoing affect in mind here. This "sacredness" being in how a well rendered object of common domestic value can become more poignant through an elegant art such as this, but it may allude as well as how humans imbue a sense of place and significance into an object’s representation. It really elevates it beyond mere product design. Curator: A worthy piece to pause on, demonstrating the convergence of function, design, and artistic expression during a transformative period. Editor: It leaves me pondering the ways we imbue the simplest objects with profound meanings and cultural significance.