Candlestick c. 1938

Curator: Let's turn our attention to this drawing, simply titled "Candlestick." We believe it was created around 1938 by John Dana. It's a delicate rendering in pencil on paper. Editor: Delicate is the right word. It feels like a whispered secret, almost ghostly. You know, like an heirloom glimpsed in an attic, holding memories only the candlelight remembers. Curator: Well, at first glance, it could be seen as just an exercise in replicating form and light but look closer and you see the artist exploring something beyond simple representation. I think this type of work during the late 30’s in America signified that even the most “average Joe” can explore art and create sophisticated works. Editor: Exactly! It's not trying to shout. It's quiet contemplation, like a meditation on domestic life, perhaps? It makes me wonder, did this candlestick hold a special place in his home? Did it witness everyday dinners, celebrations, hushed conversations? Curator: Perhaps it was chosen precisely for its commonplace nature. Everyday objects took on a different meaning when viewed through an artistic lens during this period, when they were depicted they were used as statements. This shows the power of social change! Editor: That’s so true. It reminds us to find the extraordinary in the ordinary, to really *see* the objects that populate our lives. Curator: Looking closely at Dana’s work you almost sense the artist thinking on what he creates as an artifact, not merely as an attempt to mirror reality. Editor: I love that – it’s like Dana is turning a functional object into something far more… poignant. Curator: A piece of material culture frozen in a single instant of history! It almost feels like it wants to speak out, tell the truth. Editor: That’s just how it is. And thanks to John Dana, here in this simple drawing we still get to hear it!