Highboy c. 1936

Editor: Here we have Louis Annino's watercolor drawing, "Highboy," created around 1936. It strikes me as quite a formal piece, almost a celebration of craftsmanship and domesticity. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, on one level it is what it seems to be, a celebration of domestic space through art and craft. However, by applying a critical lens, it becomes so much more! Let's consider the context: The highboy emerged as a prominent furniture piece during the colonial era, reflecting aspirations of upward mobility and class distinction. How do we see those notions manifest in our contemporary moment? Editor: Hmm, you mean like how the design copies styles that were reserved for wealthy families in the 18th century? I suppose there’s an implied statement about achieving that level of comfort. Curator: Precisely. And the drawing itself invites a further layer of interrogation: Why choose this particular subject, and what does the medium of watercolor drawing, seemingly humble, suggest about Annino's engagement with class? Think about whose stories are often excluded from conventional art historical narratives. Editor: So, is Annino engaging with the democratizing effects of design or pointing to class as performance through aspirational commodities? Curator: Exactly. By visually preserving a “highboy,” it almost allows it to continue impacting and interacting within the world of visual culture beyond its material life and allows critical discourse such as ours to even be possible! It invites questions around taste, class, and even the accessibility of historical styles. Editor: It’s amazing how much is going on beneath the surface of what seems like a straightforward furniture drawing! Thank you! Curator: The pleasure is all mine! Remember, art isn't just about aesthetics; it is a powerful tool for engaging with our shared history and challenging dominant narratives.