Bootjack & Slipper-Holder c. 1940

Editor: Here we have Marius Hansen’s “Bootjack & Slipper-Holder,” a watercolor drawing from around 1940. It has a charming, almost folksy feel, like a blueprint for something practical and whimsical at the same time. What do you make of it? Curator: I see it as a record of shifting cultural values related to labor and leisure in the mid-20th century. Think about it – the bootjack and slipper-holder represent domestic service and a certain class of leisurely lifestyle. But to immortalize it in watercolor as Hansen did elevates this quotidian object into art, in a sense democratizing taste, wouldn’t you say? Editor: Democratizing taste… interesting. So, the medium itself is important here? The choice of watercolor over, say, oil paint? Curator: Exactly. Watercolor carries a certain association with amateurism and accessibility. It suggests that this type of object is worthy of artistic consideration, making it a sort of comment on high versus low culture, especially as commercial interior designs gained steam through mass media in the early to mid 20th century. Does that resonate with you? Editor: It does. It makes me consider how we frame the everyday and decide what's ‘worthy’ of preservation, even now. What would a contemporary artist paint today with similar aims, I wonder? Curator: A fascinating question. Perhaps an obsolete tech device, signifying a different kind of changing labor. Food for thought. Editor: Yes, indeed. I never would have seen all that on my own. Thanks for opening my eyes! Curator: My pleasure. Examining art in its social context invariably provides a richer understanding of our world and ourselves.