Pastry Jagger 1937

Editor: This is *Pastry Jagger*, a 1937 graphite and pencil drawing by James Drake. I am really struck by the way he's chosen to represent what looks like a very humble, utilitarian object with such care and precision. What stands out to you? Curator: The elevation of a common tool challenges the art hierarchy. Consider the process – Drake meticulously rendered these items, bestowing value on objects often overlooked. The means of production here become the subject, questioning traditional artistic boundaries. It makes us ask, who made the actual pastry jagger? And under what conditions? Editor: So, it's less about the pastry and more about the…making of pastry? And who does it? Curator: Precisely. We should consider the context, the Depression era, when resourcefulness and practicality were paramount. Drake is not merely depicting an object; he's alluding to the labour, skill, and the everyday lives intertwined with this simple tool. Notice the graphite; the choice of medium, a relatively inexpensive material, resonates with that very practicality. Is he hinting at class through material choices? Editor: That’s interesting! I hadn’t considered how the economic climate of the time would influence the artist’s subject and materials. Curator: Think of the wider consumption chain; the field workers harvesting grain, the millers grinding flour, the baker... the consumer! This object has its own web. Drake focuses our attention on a segment of it, so we should trace backwards and forwards from this point. What are your feelings? Editor: This really changes my view. Before, I saw a nice drawing of a tool. Now, I see the social and economic structure reflected in the object and the artwork itself. Thanks! Curator: And I understand the power of this simple item in a whole new way. Thank you.