Maple Sugar Mold c. 1940

George File made this rendering of a maple sugar mold at an unknown date using graphite and colored pencil. Imagine File, born in the late 1800s, as a conduit to folk art, carefully depicting a piece of history. It’s so nice to see the different shapes carved into the wood: the leaves, the hearts with little circles inside, the flower with the sort of rough edges. You can really see the hand of the artist in the making of this functional object. Thinking about the labor, the patience, of this work makes me think about other artists who are also inspired by folk art. It makes me think of Ree Morton, and her love of the vernacular. It also brings up for me a question about utility. Morton used a lot of materials that came from the hardware store. This makes me think about how George File might have chosen his materials.