Box Desk on Frame c. 1937

Editor: Here we have Lorenz Rothkranz's "Box Desk on Frame" from around 1937, a drawing on paper of, well, a desk. What strikes me is how stripped-down it is; just the bare bones of design. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Stripped down is a good way to put it. We can consider this less as a pure art object, and more as a document of industrial and social intent. What kind of labor was envisioned to produce such a piece? Editor: That's interesting, I hadn't considered it in terms of labor. You mean, thinking about the skills required to make the actual desk based on this drawing? Curator: Exactly! The very *idea* of the desk—the design itself—demands a certain skill set, doesn't it? How does this relate to the prevailing workshop conditions of the late 30s? Also, look at the repetition of line here; the stark, geometric quality. Editor: It does look like a mass-producible item. It lacks the flair of hand-crafted furniture. Were they thinking about factory production when creating designs like this? Curator: Almost certainly. Think about the materials too - are we imagining hardwoods, expensive veneers? Or something more utilitarian, like plywood? The choice dramatically shifts its place within consumer culture and ideas about value. Editor: So, we're not just looking at a design, but an economic proposition almost? I guess art isn’t made in a vacuum, even simple sketches like this hold a lot more context. Curator: Precisely. Examining this "Box Desk" through the lens of its materials and potential production opens up a dialogue far beyond aesthetics. It makes us consider the social fabric that enables the creation of even the most basic commodities.