Chalkware Dog c. 1940

Editor: So, this is Zabelle Missirian's "Chalkware Dog," dating from around 1940. It looks like it's done in watercolor, maybe with some pencil? It reminds me of something you might find in your grandmother's attic—endearing, slightly quirky, and definitely folk-art inspired. What do you see in this piece that might not be immediately apparent? Curator: It's charming, isn't it? Like a memory trying to hold its shape. The awkwardness is precisely what gives it heart. You know, I see the hand of someone deeply connected to everyday life; there's a kind of tenderness in the way she's rendered the dog’s form. Did the dog exist, or was it created by the artist imagination, perhaps in response to their desire to explore familiar shapes? Editor: The dog shape and medium made me immediately think ‘toy’, like maybe this was based on a real object. You use such wonderful language; that sense of tenderness and a connection to everyday life really rings true for me now that you point it out. Curator: The muted palette too whispers of time passed, things fading, but not disappearing completely. Chalkware itself was, I believe, an accessible material, a "poor man's porcelain," so to speak, often adorning simple homes. Do you get a sense of the social context it belongs to? I wonder whether the item has more than one significance for the artist? Editor: It’s easy to miss, caught up in just how cute the puppy is, but thinking about those layers, of material and intention, just adds such richness. I almost feel a little pang of nostalgia! Curator: Exactly! Art is a gateway. Editor: It’s funny; a simple folk-art object, a blurry watercolour… yet suddenly it contains so much. Curator: I hope people will take time with their viewing and bring curiosity when viewing pieces like this.