Green Bottle c. 1938

Editor: This is "Green Bottle," painted around 1938 by Cora Parker, using watercolor and drawing techniques. It has such a simple form. What's striking to you about it? Curator: I find it intriguing because it straddles the line between fine art and utilitarian object. How does the artist elevate a common, mass-produced item through the labour-intensive processes of drawing and watercolor painting? Editor: So, you are interested in the production side? Curator: Precisely. The green bottle is removed from its everyday context of function and consumption. We must question the choice of such a commonplace subject during the late 1930s and, for instance, consider the implications of industrialization versus individualized labor. Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. It seems…almost radical to focus on something so simple during that time. Curator: The act of meticulous rendering transforms its status, forcing us to reconsider the value of labour, of production itself. Note the attention to the curves, light, and imperfections within the glass – what stories could that specific bottle tell about its use and origins? Does its green hue remind you of any other mass produced object? Editor: Hmm... I’m starting to see how this simple depiction can open a much wider consideration about mass culture versus unique production of things. The intense shading makes the glass come alive, yet remain clearly…manufactured. Curator: Exactly. It blurs those boundaries and makes us ask deeper questions. Editor: Thanks. I definitely have a new appreciation for how it reframes ideas around labor.