-Majestic Radio- still bank c. 1932 - 1934

This -Majestic Radio- still bank, was manufactured by the Arcade Manufacturing Company. It's a miniature, almost like a toy, and yet it mimics a real object. The use of dark, metallic tones gives it a weighty, solid feel, yet it's also playful, almost cartoonish. Looking closely, you can see how the details are built up through a kind of layering, almost like the artist was figuring out the form as they went along. This reminds me that artmaking is about embracing the process, and not always aiming for perfection. The word "Majestic" is emblazoned on the front, a reminder perhaps of the aspirational quality of the early radio age. It's a piece that speaks to both nostalgia and the material culture of its time. The whole object feels like a conversation, echoing folk art perhaps, where function and form blur in surprising ways. Ultimately, it's a reminder that art doesn't always need to be highbrow; sometimes it can be found in the everyday objects that surround us.