-Goose- still bank c. 1909 - 1935

Editor: Here we have the *Goose* still bank, crafted by the A.C. Williams Company, likely between 1909 and 1935. It's an assemblage, primarily metal, a small sculpture. I'm immediately drawn to the goose’s streamlined form, which feels both archaic and curiously modern. What do you make of it? Curator: A keen observation. From a formalist perspective, the sculpture utilizes simplified, almost geometric shapes to evoke the essence of a goose, rather than aiming for precise representation. The interplay between the smooth curves of the body and the sharp lines of the beak creates a dynamic tension. Notice also the texture – the mottled surface of the paint, revealing the base metal, provides a richness and depth, challenging any sense of surface uniformity. How does this textural variation strike you? Editor: I hadn’t considered the texture as deliberately challenging uniformity! I suppose I saw it as age or wear, something subtractive, rather than constructive. So, the artist is using form and texture, primarily, to create meaning here? Curator: Precisely. The form dictates how we perceive the sculpture; its lines and volume speak directly to our understanding. The texture further enriches this perception. A purely representational piece would be less evocative, less thought-provoking, don’t you agree? It’s not merely a goose; it’s an idea *of* a goose, rendered in metal, burnished by time. Editor: I see. The formal elements become the language through which the sculpture communicates, quite apart from its function as a coin bank. That changes my understanding entirely. Curator: Indeed. Looking at its construction in this way elevates the everyday object to the level of art, emphasizing that value doesn’t reside only in surface representation. Editor: Fascinating. I’ll definitely look at objects differently now, focusing on the language of their forms and materials.