Sauce Pan c. 1938

Curator: We’re now looking at a pencil drawing titled "Sauce Pan" from around 1938 by Roy Weber. What strikes you first about it? Editor: Immediately, the starkness. It’s an everyday object, meticulously rendered in graphite. The tonal gradations really give it weight, make you feel its metallic density despite being just a drawing. Curator: Exactly. Weber’s choice of subject here is interesting, considering the socio-economic backdrop of the late 1930s. Think about the Dust Bowl migration, the New Deal, and the Farm Security Administration's focus on documenting ordinary American lives. A humble saucepan elevates the mundane. Editor: The way the light catches the interior of the pan creates a captivating contrast with the darker exterior and background. The lines, the textures—they build a real sense of form and space. I'm drawn to the angles, and how the planes articulate volume, even though the colour palette is quite reserved. Curator: Right, this drawing isn’t just about the object itself. It signifies self-sufficiency and making do during tough economic times. It shows resourcefulness. Even art supplies might have been limited at this time. The simplicity emphasizes function, the essential tools for sustenance. Editor: And see how the handle curves? How the light reflects to highlight the hammered texture of the pan itself? There's an elegance that emerges, defying the limitations of a simple subject. This speaks to how observation reveals detail. Curator: I see it reflecting back to what art could represent in times of trouble—a reminder of what endures when the usual material excesses and creative expenditures were simply out of reach. Editor: Ultimately, Weber’s study celebrates the beauty of the commonplace, challenging us to perceive value in simple forms. Curator: I'd add that it celebrates a collective resilience embedded within domesticity—the quiet strength of those who carry on regardless.