Drawer Pull c. 1936

Curator: What we have here is Janet Riza's "Drawer Pull," likely created around 1936. It's rendered primarily in pencil, with perhaps a touch of colored pencil and maybe even watercolor, on what appears to be toned paper. Editor: Immediately, I see a curious study in mundane utility. It’s so restrained, and those mellowed colors – a whisper of functionality elevated by draftsmanship. Curator: Indeed. What strikes me is the sheer intimacy. It's not a grand portrait, but a detailed look at something we'd usually overlook. You know, that pull probably swung open drawers brimming with secrets and daily routines. The ghost of lived experiences, I suppose. Editor: Precisely. A common object meticulously reproduced. You have to consider the context: the 1930s, the Depression… was she finding artistic value in the readily available, re-purposing a celebration of frugal practicality into something beautiful? It makes one think about material value and where it's found, doesn’t it? Curator: Absolutely. And that centered star on one of the pulls… Is it just decorative, or does it signify something more? A sense of American aspiration, even on the most humble level? A glimmer of hope perhaps? I'm just musing. Editor: I think it draws attention to craft and labor—how even mass-produced elements receive particular design attention. The choice of colored pencil mimics, quite cleverly, the brassy luster, celebrating the metallic even as it transcends pure representation. Curator: It's like she's bestowing significance, transforming the mass-produced into the personally observed, right? Kind of an alchemical spin! Editor: Or a record, documenting not just the object but also the textures, and perhaps hinting at the social life embedded in even the smallest design choices. That paper gives a historical tangibility that helps convey the passing of time. Curator: So it is a bit romantic that by memorializing the handle, Riza unknowingly unlocked the memory box about the 30s? We look at the art through it, while her hands caressed a similar artifact and transformed its presence. Editor: Right. A drawer pull opens more than just drawers, in her art. Curator: Yes, there’s something subtly revolutionary and gently poetic in capturing something so… pedestrian, really. Editor: Absolutely. Janet Riza forces us to look carefully at the things around us, and reflect upon how those materials define both artistry and our lives.