Pa. German Butter Mold c. 1938

Franklyn Syres made this drawing of a Pa. German Butter Mold, but we don't know when. Imagine Syres, pencil in hand, carefully tracing the circular form and inner designs of fern fronds and acorns. You know, it's pretty amazing when someone takes the time to draw something, to really look and copy. The muted palette of browns and creams gives the piece a quiet, unassuming presence. The circular form could echo folk art, or maybe the impression that the butter mold would leave on a pat of butter. What was Syres thinking about when he made this? Maybe about Pennsylvania's rural history. I always feel that artists are in constant dialogue, each building upon the ideas and techniques of those who came before. Art is a form of embodied expression that embraces ambiguity, so what this piece means to me might be totally different to you – and that's just fine!