Candle Holder c. 1939

Curator: This is Benjamin Resnick's "Candle Holder," drawn around 1939, a work on paper rendered in pencil. Editor: My first thought? It looks so fragile, almost ethereal. Like a spider made it its home and just wove this silvery thing out of dreams. Curator: That's a beautiful image. It strikes me as quite utilitarian. The simple linework seems less about artistic flourish and more about…depiction. Of course, it raises questions about accessibility and function, particularly within the domestic sphere, right? The candle holder itself as a possible signifier of a time before electrical light. Editor: Utilitarian, sure, but there’s also something undeniably elegant about its simplicity. And I think you hit on something important there, curator. The contrast between what's functional and also… unnecessary, beautiful, a source of inner comfort through light? The bare minimum for some is like…opulence to others. Curator: The formal aspects of art shouldn't be isolated from broader issues of access and privilege. Art objects always intersect with societal values and disparities, prompting critical discourse on resource allocation and equitable distribution of beauty. In particular, its spare composition is a world apart from Depression-era austerity and resilience—Resnick manages to distill both with this form. Editor: Okay, okay, but can we just step back a second? I see that for you art is…mostly this societal reflection, which of course I understand…but, to me, this pencil line? This…it whispers. The form creates light—captures my imagination. This line feels immediate, even intimate, almost defiant against any kind of grim backdrop it might be responding to. Maybe that’s its purpose. Maybe beauty isn’t a luxury but a… life raft. Curator: You’re absolutely right—a life raft! Perhaps it provided not just literal illumination, but figurative light during a period rife with hardship and uncertainty. And maybe art that provokes is, like the simplest form, the greatest form of protest. Editor: Exactly. I keep thinking I could maybe recreate the real candle holder from looking at the lines and shapes here! Like, Resnick's spirit is right there with me through that drawing on the paper! Curator: An object made newly vital and meaningful because of our dialogue. Thanks! Editor: I'd only add one thing: Keep the light alive in your own lives! Cheers!