Torch 1939

Curator: Elmer G. Anderson’s “Torch,” created in 1939, depicts what appears to be an old-fashioned oil lamp rendered in watercolor and charcoal. Editor: My initial impression is that of a relic. It looks so worn, like something unearthed from a past where utility dictated every curve and joint. Curator: Exactly. I find it interesting to consider this piece in the late 1930s, a period defined by global political unrest and social change, but here Anderson turns to this… this rather quotidian object. Is it a subtle commentary on the light needed during such times? Or is he questioning societal progress, showing the value of older methods? Editor: I'm more interested in the lamp itself, how its function has shaped it over time through its making and continued maintenance. Consider the way the handle’s been crafted and attached to the central oil container. We could dig into who crafted it and the material it's made of to illuminate their lives and labors. Curator: That’s an insightful point, tracing the relationship of the lamp to labor. The artist, however, seems less interested in depicting that human interaction and more in representing its essence—its history, one might say. The materials could also hint at its historical place within a certain class. Editor: Yes, and its survival is linked with the conditions and material constraints of Anderson’s time too; what was affordable, accessible? Also the way in which he's painstakingly documented the aging process here suggests it holds a certain reverence to him; a humble material, raised in status. Curator: It certainly invites deeper engagement, allowing for dialogues about identity, class, and collective histories, all through the lens of one object. Editor: I would say the charm in Anderson's depiction of the Torch, made apparent through process and materiality, creates a poignant historical record of value in this era of mass production and hyper-consumption. It prompts a recognition for the craft, labor, and history rooted within something as utilitarian as this lamp.