Flail c. 1938

Editor: So, this drawing, titled "Flail," created around 1938 by Max Fernekes, uses pencil, charcoal, and possibly some wood detailing. It's surprisingly…peaceful, considering it's depicting a weapon. What context can you provide for interpreting this work? Curator: Well, it’s fascinating to see an object associated with labor and potential violence rendered so serenely. Considering its date, the late 1930s, we have to think about the Dust Bowl, the Great Depression, the rise of fascism. Were there political undertones Fernekes was exploring through depicting agricultural tools? Do you think that depicting the tool this way makes it look obsolete? Editor: I hadn't thought about the political angle! It’s easy to see this flail as just a farm tool from the past. Do you see any other social statements within it? Curator: Perhaps there's commentary on industrialization's effect on labor. A flail symbolizes manual work, being overtaken by machinery and the industrial change during this period. We could explore how the image of rural life was employed in different political rhetorics during this time. Do you feel Fernekes glorifies manual labour, or just shows it? Editor: Hmm, I can't decide. On one hand, this object isn't heroic. Then again, showing such an honest depiction is its own form of honor. Curator: Precisely. It resists idealizing, becoming more about representing social transformation through these now archaic implements. That transformation impacts how art is viewed and experienced, too, by reaching wider audiences. Editor: I never would've considered its connection to larger societal narratives. Thank you for shedding light on such aspects of this piece. Curator: And thank you. These objects, depicted outside of any real human context, often give a clearer depiction of daily life. Food for thought.