Shaker Wooden Wall Shelf c. 1937

Editor: Here we have Alois Ulrich's "Shaker Wooden Wall Shelf" from around 1937, rendered in pencil and watercolor. I'm struck by how detailed and almost technical the drawing is, given it's "just" a shelf. What do you see when you look at this piece? Curator: The key here lies in recognizing this not just as an image OF a shelf, but a document ABOUT a shelf, its design and manufacture, embedded in a specific social and economic context. Consider the Shaker movement's values of simplicity, utility, and quality craftsmanship. Editor: So it's less about aesthetics and more about the shelf as a product? Curator: Precisely. Ulrich isn't simply depicting an object; he's recording a set of labor practices and design principles. How do the chosen materials—pencil and watercolor—reflect or even reinforce Shaker values? Watercolor is subtle. Is the choice deliberate, emphasizing humbleness, functionality? Editor: Interesting! So by depicting it this way, he's almost elevating the craftmanship behind it? Highlighting the beauty of simple, functional design? Curator: Exactly! The very act of carefully rendering it transforms this everyday object. Think of this watercolor as a form of material investigation: examining Shaker aesthetics through the lens of its production and use. How do you see this challenge traditional art categories, blurring high art and craft? Editor: I see what you mean. By paying such close attention to detail, the work asks us to value the labour and intentionality of Shaker craft. I hadn’t considered the artist's choices as an active way of placing value on these things. Curator: Indeed. Now we can see Ulrich's watercolor is so much more than just a picture of a shelf; it’s a commentary on labor, materials, and the social values embedded within design itself.