Vessel 1935 - 1942

Curator: This coloured pencil drawing is titled "Vessel" and was created by Mary Berner between 1935 and 1942. What's your initial reaction? Editor: It strikes me as unusually delicate. The soft hues and gentle linework give the object a quiet, almost ethereal presence. There's a careful symmetry, yet it's not rigid; the subtle asymmetry actually lends it a handmade quality. Curator: That's an interesting observation. Consider that during this time, Berner and her peers faced economic instability and social upheaval, we must acknowledge the role such objects could have in affirming artistic and craft production that can bring individuals together around domestic ideals. Do you think its softness would offer a comforting reminder of stability amid such circumstances? Editor: It's possible, though I'm also struck by the object itself. The interplay of line and form in this depiction...notice how the overarching structure contrasts to create rhythm? It presents the artwork as a puzzle that slowly reveals itself, offering endless visual discovery within its structural framework. Curator: Agreed, the structure hints at functional designs while acting solely as a piece that could easily adorn spaces and lives with simple joy. Its decoration alludes to the Art Deco, which focused on decoration for decoration's sake. Its context can also be associated with increased commercial markets and an art world that favored ornamentation as something more egalitarian. Editor: And what of the colour palette? The understated hues create an interior logic for the drawing, providing structural balance that holds together the entire visual concept. Even the blank space is activated, emphasizing volume by way of pure chromatic interaction. Curator: Perhaps we can say that by reducing external references and emphasizing visual components, "Vessel" offers a serene space for both maker and viewer during potentially transformative historical moments? Editor: Yes, it is a piece which makes one see drawing in the light of what lies ahead, a moment captured, not so much an artifact of material culture but instead it signals the quiet, unfolding potential held within our shared human experience.