Mittens 1935 - 1942

Curator: This is "Mittens" by Archie Thompson, made sometime between 1935 and 1942, a watercolor and pencil drawing. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: They look so warm! Not just physically—they give off a cozy feeling. Like Grandma's about to send you off to play in the snow, but first, a cup of something hot, you know? It's the red, maybe? Curator: Yes, red is a strong color that speaks to winter activities, warmth and holidays, a popular decorative hue, and these mittens evoke a very specific time. This was a period of significant social and economic change. I wonder how clothing items such as these played into that landscape. Editor: Hmm, like were they homemade as a necessity, a symbol of simpler times people wanted to cling to? That floral design looks pretty detailed—somebody put real love into stitching that. Do you think that craftsmanship represented a sort of defiance, an insistence on beauty during hardship? Curator: Precisely! Think about the broader context, the rise of consumerism. These handmade items gain a certain cultural significance. Perhaps a silent protest against mass production or a way for artists to reclaim traditional art skills to respond to such movements? Editor: Maybe they just kept little fingers from freezing, but now you've got me thinking! Look at how the color shifts on the wool—Archie Thompson was paying attention. Watercolor usually isn't so opaque, so it has to be layers of drawing and paint—wonder how long it took him to build this up. You see how this technique and the care given can be interpreted as quiet rebellion, especially given the period. It's more than mittens. Curator: Exactly. These mittens are transformed from functional object into a representation of a particular cultural narrative. Art transforms mundane items, challenging norms. Editor: So much weight on a pair of painted mittens. Who knew? Still, warm thoughts prevail—they did the work of protecting vulnerable hands, of sparking memories and representing cultural values. What else could mittens ask for? Curator: True, a very hopeful work, made all the more powerful when framed by its historical setting. It seems simplicity is complexity's greatest disguise.