Cut Tin Candle Holder 1935 - 1942

Dana Bartlett made this artwork, Cut Tin Candle Holder, using watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil. The immediate experience is one of radial symmetry. The composition draws the eye toward the center through a repetition of shapes – circles and triangles – that emanate from the core. The color scheme, predominantly silver with accents of red and yellow, enhances its visual appeal and evokes warmth from the candle light. Note how the geometric precision and symmetrical arrangement lend the artwork a sense of order. This structured approach to design may reflect broader artistic concerns with systematization, which also destabilizes conventional notions of utility by celebrating the aesthetic qualities of everyday objects. It prompts us to reconsider how we assign value to both art and design. Bartlett's rendering, therefore, presents not merely a representation of a candle holder, but an exploration of form, function, and value itself.