Crock 1937

Curator: Welcome! We are now standing in front of "Crock," a 1937 watercolor and drawing on paper by Yolande Delasser. Editor: Well, my immediate reaction is one of serenity. The muted blue hues create a very calming effect, almost dreamlike, and the unfinished elements add a sense of transience. It has an airy quality. Curator: I agree, the watercolor lends it an ephemeral quality. It’s interesting how Delasser juxtaposes a utilitarian object—the crock—with a close study of, perhaps, the plant life that would fill such a vessel. We see here an exploration of domesticity and nature that are rooted in gendered divisions that, to this day, prevail within domestic environments. Editor: Absolutely, but notice also how the artist handles form. The unfinished sketch of the crock hovers almost ethereally above the richer, more defined rendering of the bloom below. This opposition brings attention to line versus shape. The detailed watercolor gives dimension while the faint pencil work gives it more of a linear presence. Curator: Delasser places emphasis on two ways of experiencing the familiar. What does the simple and common vessel used daily mean when divorced from context? What sort of implications can be drawn about it when she gives just as much attention to what it might be filled with? She offers insight on how ordinary lives incorporate beauty even amidst practical necessities. Editor: Right, and look at how the artist balances precision with fluidity, doesn’t she? There's a delicate dance happening between control and freedom of form. Curator: By framing the object in tandem with its use, and blurring that very line, the artist provides access to ponder how these items construct our interactions with the social world, the intimate, domestic spheres of 20th century families and, as this piece makes clear, that link is mediated by gender and access. Editor: Fascinating. Thinking purely in terms of composition and execution, this piece shows how much depth of feeling and nuance can be evoked from something quite simple and muted. The incomplete, understated qualities, add a remarkable feeling of quiet intimacy. Curator: Indeed, I am pleased this work sparks this kind of analysis!