Shaker Sugar Chest 1935 - 1942

Curator: We're looking at "Shaker Sugar Chest," a piece created between 1935 and 1942 by George V. Vezolles. It's rendered with watercolor and charcoal on paper, displaying a remarkable attention to detail within what seems a very contained scene. Editor: Well, hello there, serious furniture! I’m immediately getting a "don't touch!" vibe from this sugar chest. I can almost feel that old, polished wood... kind of austere, but beautifully made, in that straightforward, honest Shaker way. Curator: Exactly! Shaker design principles, originating from a religious community with specific gender roles and racial exclusions, advocated for utility and simplicity. The piece thus prompts us to consider how notions of “good design” are not neutral but infused with ideological choices regarding labor and lifestyle, in this instance, embedded in very specific contexts that relate to labor exploitation. Editor: Mmm, you’ve gone all academic on me. I can see it... the Shakers stripping away any frills to get at the pure essence of… cupboard-ness. I'm also reminded how "minimalism" became trendy as wealth increased allowing people to hide storage spaces. This piece in contrast is unhiding as it proudly displays its sugar purpose. Curator: Let’s not forget, sugar production historically intersects with transatlantic slavery and colonial exploitation. This chest, while seemingly benign, connects to global power dynamics when viewed through the lens of its contents. It evokes considerations of the socio-economic system behind the commodity. Editor: Okay, okay, you’ve made your point! Still, stepping back for a second, it’s almost funny how seriously the artist takes the whole subject. I mean, it's sugar. Was someone really contemplating the sweet commodity of sucrose or did they actually like drawing sugar containers? I want that passion for my kitchen containers. Curator: I think, looking closely, we find that this unassuming chest embodies contradictions—simplicity concealing complex economic structures, beauty intertwined with histories of social and racial stratification. And maybe that intensity of focus points at someone deeply affected by the world in which this everyday object had meaning. Editor: So, this quiet little painting of a box isn't just a painting of a box. It's whispering secrets of the past, flavored with a bittersweet understanding of privilege. Food for thought with your morning coffee.