Glass Milk Pan c. 1937

Curator: Here we have Michael J. Miceli’s "Glass Milk Pan," a watercolor drawing from around 1937. What catches your eye about it? Editor: Well, immediately I see this ethereal, almost dreamlike quality, considering it is just a humble milk pan. The subtle washes of blue suggest the coolness and fragility of glass. Curator: Yes, Miceli’s choice of watercolor beautifully captures the translucence and delicate nature of the material. You know, during this time, there was a real emphasis on representing everyday objects in art, elevating them to subjects worthy of contemplation. Editor: It really asks us to look closer. Focusing on an object from the domestic sphere like this suggests the impact of mass production in American homes. Was this type of glassware common then? It has that almost utilitarian quality to it. Curator: Indeed, though simple, its form speaks to functionality but there is care to its rendering here, beyond pure function, don’t you think? Watercolor was also seen as sort of, well, “less serious” than oil at this time. Editor: Interesting... It’s like celebrating the ordinary through an embrace of everyday materials. Thinking about the role of craft here...the intimacy involved in depiction and utility challenges traditional hierarchy. It's not just about the end result but the making, the labor of representing domesticity itself. Curator: Exactly! There’s almost a stillness to it that invites us to pause. It reminds me of a haiku, finding beauty in simplicity. Editor: Perhaps it's a challenge to our consumer culture...a celebration of the hand. And maybe it asks a larger question of what we value? Curator: Precisely. It seems to make even the simplest object worthy of being closely observed and immortalized on paper. It is as if he has opened our eyes to the significance found in these forgotten corners. Editor: Makes you think of the journey, not the destination. Curator: Indeed, thanks for sharing that insight! I hadn’t thought of it in quite that way before.