Cassiopeia 1 1960

Curator: This is Joseph Cornell's "Cassiopeia 1," created around 1960. It's a mixed-media assemblage in a box. What are your initial impressions? Editor: It feels…contained, but also expansive. There’s a sense of wonder, like looking up at the night sky through a dusty attic window. The textures are striking. Curator: Cornell's choice of materials is crucial to understanding his work. Notice the interplay of the flat pictorial elements and the three-dimensional objects within the enclosed space. The contrast between the printed constellations and the physical sphere, for instance, sets up a fascinating tension. Editor: Absolutely. The constellation charts evoke a sense of scientific observation, while the sphere feels more symbolic. The box itself becomes a microcosm, a theater of memory and imagination. There's a fragility too— the aged materials suggest the passage of time. How does this piece fit into his broader body of work? Curator: Cornell was deeply interested in themes of childhood, memory, and longing. He often incorporated found objects and ephemera into his shadow boxes. They are never direct or illustrative. He uses this tension to engage themes of containment versus escape. Here, he explores the cosmos. Cassiopeia, a constellation named for a vain queen of Greek myth, speaks volumes in a postwar context. Editor: It does invite a multitude of readings. Was he interested in how popular astronomy was at this time? Was the Space Race relevant? Curator: Cornell was indeed fascinated by science, but his interest was poetic and philosophical. The geometric arrangement also adds another layer, an appeal to rational modes of viewing. Editor: It’s this combination of meticulous planning and serendipitous arrangement that makes it so compelling. The box frames a specific constellation but hints at endless possibilities. Curator: Exactly. The deliberate construction and arrangement creates its unique and beautiful formal qualities. Editor: Looking closely at “Cassiopeia 1” certainly enriches our understanding of this work and provides new insights into Cornell's wider artistic concerns. Curator: It has been rewarding to unpack the artwork this way, it emphasizes the complex interplay between form and context within Cornell's enigmatic vision.