Stoneware Jar c. 1937

Curator: This is Annie B. Johnston’s "Stoneware Jar," a drawing from around 1937. It's a striking piece. What are your immediate thoughts? Editor: My immediate impression is the weight of the piece. It feels grounded, earthy. I'm interested in the utilitarian nature implied by stoneware. I wonder about its specific use. Curator: Notice how the artist renders form. The tonal variations are exquisitely controlled. Look closely at the lip of the jar and the subtle nuances within the shadows to express depth. Editor: Precisely. And the materiality! Johnston's rendering evokes the rough texture of fired clay so well. I want to examine Johnston’s labor. Was this vessel based on personal use, made at home perhaps? Curator: That would place this within a larger cultural context of the time. The jar is given a symbolic element, that curly flourish above the vessel body, near the rim. Editor: Yes, this design might indicate who formed it and how it should be recognized, an addition of meaning through production to everyday life, in this case a stoneware jar. The fact she’s memorializing it by creating this realistic yet artistic image is key. Curator: And observe the separate rendering of that small element, set off to the side. One has to consider, is this to present a complete vision? Almost as if providing an unvarnished description through images, instead of words. Editor: Perhaps there’s an inventory aspect too. What could have prompted its depiction? Is this merely folk art or a document, even, of the labor and utility in such common objects? What’s your final assessment? Curator: To me, it stands as a beautifully understated essay on form and light, even while invoking utilitarian purposes. Editor: It makes me ponder craft and its cultural meaning and what daily life demanded of those involved.