Jar c. 1937

Editor: So this is "Jar," created around 1937 by Charles Caseau. It’s a watercolor drawing of what appears to be a stoneware crock. I’m really struck by the detail in the rendering of the ceramic itself – the artist even captured the maker's mark "France Bogardus, Poughkeepsie" on the jar. What’s your take on it? Curator: Well, considering this is a watercolor rendering of a utilitarian object, it really challenges the traditional hierarchy between art and craft. Caseau forces us to consider the labor involved, both in the original ceramic production and in the artistic reproduction. What does it mean to elevate a common vessel through the act of drawing? Editor: I never thought about it like that, focusing on labor! Curator: Think about the materials too. We're looking at watercolor on paper, mimicking ceramic, a substance born of earth and fire. It’s a layering of processes, a chain of material transformations, really. Does the watercolor medium somehow ‘soften’ or sentimentalize the original function of the jar, perhaps obscuring the class associations it might have originally held? Editor: I suppose the original ceramic jar would be much more closely associated with working class practices like canning or storing… Watercolor seems to lend it an air of respectability. Curator: Precisely. And by meticulously copying the maker’s mark, Caseau draws attention to questions of branding and regional industry. We're confronted with the commodification of both the object depicted and, to an extent, Caseau's own artistic skill. Editor: That makes a lot of sense. I’d always looked at realist drawings and paintings as just… depictions. Curator: It’s always much more than that. Thinking about the choices of materials, processes, and the implied social context—those elements can unlock entire new ways of interpreting art. Editor: I'll definitely be thinking more about labor and materiality from now on. Curator: Indeed. These aspects are so important when evaluating any artwork.