Pa. German Butter Mold 1935 - 1942

This Pa. German Butter Mold was made with wood, and you can see the amount of pressure used to carve it. The artist, Alfred H. Smith, born in 1855, makes this rooster in such a way that we understand that art-making is a process, and the pressure is definitely part of this process. There's so much to this simple, perfect thing. The texture and color are so lovely, but it's the physicality of the medium that really sings. The surface has a lot of small details: the artist used small tools, and you can see the marks on the wood, each one unique. It gives the whole object an emotional quality, like you can feel the life of the artist in it. Look at the detail in the rooster's tail, the lines are so crisp and clean, but also soft and kind of playful. It's amazing how Smith was able to make wood seem so alive. Looking at this, I can't help but think of woodcuts made by artists like Ernst Ludwig Kirchner; simple, handmade forms used to capture a vitality and spirit. Isn’t it great how art is an ongoing conversation, embracing ambiguity and multiple interpretations?