Shaker Tin Dish Drainer c. 1941

Editor: Here we have a drawing of a "Shaker Tin Dish Drainer," created around 1941 by Lon Cronk, rendered in pencil. It has this incredibly still and quiet presence. What do you see when you look at this, something beyond just a kitchen implement? Curator: Quiet is a good word for it, isn't it? It's like a held breath. The Shakers, you know, they sought perfection through simplicity, in their lives and their crafts. This drawing captures that ethos so well. There is something intensely satisfying in its almost austere lines, the subtle gradations of shading…it's more than just a drainer, it’s a vessel for a whole philosophy. Makes you wonder what kind of mindfulness went into its creation. Editor: Absolutely, the composition focuses entirely on the drainer. No distractions. Does the medium, the pencil drawing, have anything to do with this austerity? Curator: Oh, definitely! Pencil… it’s humble, unassuming. Think of the care and precision required. There's an honesty to it that a more flamboyant medium would likely obscure. Editor: So it is like the Shakers used to say? “Beauty rests on utility.” Curator: Precisely! You got it. It’s the utility refined to its purest aesthetic form, laid bare by the simple lines of pencil. What I find wonderful is that something as everyday as a dish drainer can hold such profound meaning. Editor: This drawing made me think about finding beauty in simple things. Curator: Yes! This work urges us to contemplate the beauty in utility and to approach our tasks, even the most mundane ones, with a kind of reverent attention.