Bishop Hill: Mangle c. 1936

Curator: Here we have Wellington Blewett’s watercolor drawing, "Bishop Hill: Mangle," circa 1936. Editor: There's an immediate rustic charm. It's very subdued in color but something about it...it’s meditative. Almost zen. Two oblong blocks, each with carved-out grips as if to ask, "Lift me." Curator: The composition is deliberately simple. Two meticulously rendered views of the titular mangle component, isolated against a pale background. Notice the precision in the depiction of the wood grain; the interplay of light and shadow gives them a palpable, almost tactile presence. Editor: I see the wood grain now; beautiful, subtle, almost feels like a topographic map or tiny valleys in the palms of my hands, yes, a visceral, tactile echo—but then to see the handle shapes... it evokes labor and wear but maybe I am imposing too much feeling on it. Curator: The "Mangle" refers to a tool used historically for ironing or pressing cloth. These wooden forms represent functional beauty born out of necessity. It's a study of the inherent formal properties found in everyday objects, a pure semiotic exercise on function dictating form. Editor: Precisely. And while that might sound cold or analytical, for me it’s also tinged with nostalgia. Remembering a simpler time where function was also celebrated through artful design. The little wood grain valley details speak of simpler technologies and how those impacted daily life and the environment, and how we related to the work itself. I can even hear echoes of someone rolling it…shhhhh… Curator: That personal reading is valid but consider how Blewett is isolating this form and allowing its internal structure to dominate. How the play of horizontal planes guides our view and controls our optical reading… Editor: Yes! It is lovely how this very act also draws one into pondering the tactile element and almost the burden of repetitive motion involved in smoothing and caring for fabrics. In essence, it transforms the overlooked into something worthy of study and elevates the act of "doing". Curator: I concur and admire Blewett's masterful handling of watercolor to spotlight those details and subtle structural qualities, indeed turning it into something quietly profound, even stoic in its simplicity. Editor: In short, from the formal grace in structure to this beautiful wooden artifact rendered as meditation. Yes! Worthy of contemplation.