Jug 1935 - 1942

Curator: Immediately, I’m struck by its warmth. The rounded shape and earthy browns—it radiates a certain… homeliness? Editor: That’s an interesting observation. What you are sensing might come from Borrazzo’s understanding of how an artwork rooted in a long, global tradition of vessels can be imbued with memory, class, and domesticity. This oil-and-watercolor work on paper, titled *Jug*, was completed sometime between 1935 and 1942. Curator: Vessels, yes. I see that. The glaze almost seems touchable, like warm terracotta after the firing. It feels intensely personal. As if this was something he lived with, and not something staged for display. Editor: We need to consider that in Borrazzo's era and milieu, utilitarian objects such as this, typically associated with rural and working-class households, held a complex significance that was sometimes overlooked by mainstream art circles. Borrazzo foregrounds that with surprising grace and attention to detail. He’s reminding us about what really makes a house a home, especially when resources are scarce. Curator: And those sparse details – a few abstracted flowers daubed onto the surface. Were they his own touch, or simply inherent to the original piece? It’s like whispering a little secret in plain sight. I bet you those plants would carry their own cultural significance. Editor: Precisely. Even the subtlest embellishment speaks volumes. As to your earlier point, these kinds of pieces weren't exactly celebrated as high art during this time, were they? And I think there’s a subtle act of defiance there—in reclaiming beauty from the ordinary. The lack of figures might also underscore a focus on marginalized bodies by way of their absence. Curator: Defiance… yes, I feel it too! You know, initially I saw just warmth and utility. Now I notice something deeper—almost daring. What an eloquent and intimate conversation. Editor: Yes, an intimacy rooted in both history and the possibility for a decolonized future.