Letter Sander c. 1940

Editor: Here we have Cora Parker's "Letter Sander" from around 1940, rendered with watercolors and drawings. There’s something so serene about it, almost meditative in its simplicity. The curves are soft, inviting to touch. What speaks to you in this piece? Curator: Serene and meditative - I love that. For me, it's the 'Letter Sander' itself. We're so used to digital communication now, that the physicality of a letter – and needing to sand it! – feels like a forgotten world. This little vessel, a humble object, suddenly becomes a portal to a different time. Can you imagine the writer painstakingly drying their ink, smoothing the page? Editor: Definitely, it's like holding history in your hand. But looking closer at it as an art object, rather than its historical use, it almost becomes a sculpture. It's beautifully rendered, this subtle rendering that accentuates its rounded form and shadow details. Did Parker create other still life paintings? Curator: Exactly! It’s that tension between the everyday and the artful that gets me going. From my research, Parker worked a lot in watercolors and with commonplace items in that era. To answer your question though, that requires additional research. Tell me, though – Does it spark something in you, a memory or feeling? Because often it's not about what's on the paper, but what the paper stirs within. Editor: I see what you mean. I hadn't thought about that – connecting with a feeling, a nostalgia, more than knowing every single fact. Curator: Right. Sometimes, it is those moments that you appreciate artwork.