Coffee Pot 1935 - 1942

Editor: So, this is Nicholas Acampora's "Coffee Pot," estimated to be made sometime between 1935 and 1942, using watercolor and drawing. It feels very… grounded to me. Simple. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: It's the sheer ordinariness, isn't it? This isn't some grand historical scene or a portrait of royalty. It’s a coffee pot. But look closer. There's a stillness, a meditative quality in the rendering of this everyday object. It feels almost like a portrait of patience, of quiet mornings. Think about the period – the Depression era. What do you imagine that simple object meant at the time for someone? Editor: That's a great point. Maybe it was a little luxury? And it's interesting how the artist has made the form so geometric. Almost modernist? Curator: Precisely! And notice how Acampora's careful with the light and shadow, elevating something utilitarian into art. It invites a new consideration for form, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Definitely. It also seems very 'now' – like something you'd find on Instagram with #StillLife. It makes me think about how we find beauty in simple things, even now. Curator: Exactly! The past echoing in the present. Plus, there’s a lot to be said for honouring objects of utility, that in a way represent the common people that often go unrepresented, historically. So what, in the end, is the artwork saying to you? Editor: It’s about finding beauty in the mundane. Almost like a little celebration of the everyday ritual, maybe. Thanks – I see it in a completely new way now. Curator: My pleasure. Sometimes, all it takes is a shift in perspective. Art, after all, is in the seeing, as much as the creating.