Coffee pot c. 1950 - 1960

This "Coffee Pot," now housed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, offers a compelling study in form and function. The array of silver vessels presents a lesson in geometry—spheres and cylinders dominate, softened by delicate curves. Note the repetition and variation in the handles and spouts. These repeating shapes create a rhythm across the tray, giving order and symmetry to the set. The use of light and shadow emphasizes the three-dimensionality of each piece, highlighting the reflective qualities of the metal. The scale and placement of these items bring forth the rituals associated with coffee consumption. But if we consider the structural relations of the objects, and how they come together, we find a conversation between the individual and the collective, between the object and the system it enables. The interplay of symmetry and asymmetry, and the relationship between the functional and the ornamental, invite a more extensive exploration of culture.