Crock c. 1936

Editor: This is Charles Caseau's "Crock," a watercolor and colored pencil drawing from around 1936. It has such a grounded feel, like it belongs in a simple country kitchen. How do you interpret this work? Curator: I see this drawing as participating in a larger visual dialogue around representations of labor, domesticity, and the devaluation of traditionally feminine crafts. The artist is capturing, or perhaps elevating, a functional, everyday object. Who were the people who made and used these crocks? Editor: Right, there's that stenciled mark for "White & Wood, Binghamton, NY." It’s also marked with the number “2.” Curator: Exactly. It subtly gestures to a network of local industry, perhaps masking more troubling social dynamics and inequities. The bird motif itself could be read as a symbol of freedom, constrained here within a utilitarian object, alluding to limited possibilities. How might ideas of the male gaze be active here, do you think? Editor: That's fascinating. I hadn't considered how a drawing of a utilitarian object could address something so much bigger. Curator: Consider how the artist is inviting us to look and asking us to consider its implications for how we look at other aspects of everyday life, like gendered labor and the domestic sphere. I’m also curious about what role the whiteness plays here. Editor: I now see how the quietness of the image masks a potent social critique. Thanks for pointing that out! Curator: My pleasure. It’s a reminder that art can be a powerful tool for unveiling complex issues.