Pin 1940

Dorothy Dwin created this pin using watercolor and graphite on paper, calling attention to the beauty found in wearable art. Here, Dwin has meticulously rendered a piece of jewelry, likely a cherished item, and focuses on the stone itself. Note the banded agate, likely shaped and polished with great care. It is set within a frame, perhaps made of gold, a metal which has been prized across cultures for millennia. The use of watercolor and graphite to depict the pin is also significant. These are not industrial materials, but rather those of the hand, allowing for a level of detail and nuance that speaks to a personal connection with the object. Dwin's choice of materials and her dedication to rendering this small object prompts us to reconsider the value we place on both the handmade and the personal. It challenges the hierarchy that often separates fine art from craft, suggesting that beauty and meaning can be found in the most intimate of objects.