Creamer c. 1940

Editor: Here we have Richard Taylor's "Creamer," created around 1940 using colored pencils. It's striking how he's captured the translucence of the glass. What’s your take on this piece? Curator: There’s a simple beauty here, isn’t there? Almost an homage to the everyday. It whispers of a time when even functional objects were imbued with grace. It’s decorative art flirting with realism. What draws my eye, though, is that deep cobalt hue. It evokes thoughts of antique apothecaries or maybe Grandma's vintage glassware. Editor: Apothecaries… I never thought of that. The ridges really do look almost medicinal. But is it more than *just* a drawing of a creamer? Curator: Ah, “just.” Is there *ever* “just” anything? I think Taylor's saying something about finding artistry in the mundane, wouldn't you agree? It's a gentle invitation to stop, really *see* what's around us. He is saying ‘Beauty can be in the way that we steep our afternoon tea.’ What do you make of his specific artistic choices; let’s talk about line and texture? Editor: I see the way the coloured pencil mimics light refracting through glass. It gives the piece depth that you wouldn’t expect, especially with that plain background. Curator: Precisely. And think about the composition itself. Solitary object, smack in the middle. Is it a celebration or more like a question? Almost like it’s waiting. Editor: I’m not sure waiting, but there is something serene in the simplicity. The cream pitcher, floating… waiting for milk perhaps? Curator: A very still ‘perhaps’... Well, looking closer at ‘Creamer’ again, I feel newly invigorated, my perception, as always, altered a bit more. Thank you! Editor: My pleasure. I’ll never look at a still life the same way again.