Shell Shaped Flask c. 1940

Editor: Here we have Raymond McGough’s "Shell Shaped Flask," around 1940, created using pencil and watercolor. I'm really struck by how ordinary the subject is, yet it’s rendered with such care. What do you make of this piece? Curator: From a materialist perspective, this challenges the conventional boundaries of "art." We must consider the labor involved. The choice of pencil and watercolor, readily available and inexpensive materials, suggests a democratization of art making. Consider its possible uses and distribution channels? Editor: That’s interesting! I hadn’t thought about the "means of production," so to speak, of art itself. Does the subject – the shell transformed into a flask – play into this idea? Curator: Precisely. It elevates a common object—a shell—by transforming it into a functional container. What was the role of consumerism at the time this flask became available? Were those means environmentally safe? It also suggests a broader cultural fascination with nature and industry converging. This drawing allows us to discuss the relationship between "high art" and industrial design of the period. Editor: So, it's not just about the object itself, but also about the entire process from the raw material to its potential place in someone’s home? Curator: Exactly. Understanding the materials and processes inherent in its creation provides insight into the artwork’s cultural and economic context. Do you find any particular social critique within it? Editor: I am beginning to think so. Seeing art as a part of the economy gives me a whole new way to view artwork and the art world. Curator: And considering materials is not always a neutral, technical consideration. Understanding the origin and extraction, or harvesting, is integral to thinking through art. Editor: I'll certainly remember to look deeper into these aspects of the artworks I encounter.