Decoy c. 1941

Editor: Here we have Selma Sandler's "Decoy" from around 1941, rendered in pencil and seemingly also wood. I'm struck by the stark simplicity of the image, how the utilitarian object is transformed by the artist's hand. What stands out to you about it? Curator: Well, let's start with the obvious: a decoy isn't *just* a static object, is it? It’s a tool, a manufactured item meant to participate in the economic and social system of hunting. Sandler’s work in pencil blurs that line – between pure art and mass-produced item. Editor: So you're focusing on its dual existence, art versus manufactured goods? Curator: Precisely! Consider the Depression-era context; this drawing forces us to acknowledge labor. Someone crafted the original wood decoy and Sandler, through her representation, elevates that craftsmanship. How does she force our eye to travel across the material? Editor: The tonal variations, the meticulous pencil work… the light really catches those details. And the choice of drawing…it feels very immediate and hands-on. Curator: Yes! The labor is evident! There's a transparency here – we see the making, the artistic labor. Do you think Sandler romanticizes it, or challenges the traditional art boundaries, perhaps even showing how these things can overlap? Editor: That's a great point; perhaps it's a little of both. It's making me think about the value we place on different kinds of work, whether it's artistic or functional. Thanks. Curator: Absolutely, it makes you consider that all works reflect cultural conditions of art.