Flask c. 1936

Editor: Here we have Yolande Delasser's "Flask," created around 1936. It appears to be a drawing using a mix of media like watercolour and possibly oil pastel. There's something almost archaeological about the muted tones and the presentation of these simple, vessel-like shapes. What do you see in this piece, how does it strike you? Curator: Oh, this whispers stories! The flask isn't just an object; it's a canvas of memory. Notice how the delicate lines of the birds and plants seem to both adorn and emerge from the very surface of the flask itself. Delasser creates a fascinating relationship between interior and exterior, what is held and what is revealed. Editor: I see that! Like ghostly figures trapped inside. Why include the smaller sketches on either side of the flasks? Curator: Good eye! They could be studies, perhaps representing the life force contained within the vessel, a kind of visual echo of the flask’s potential. What about you? What’s the emotional resonance of these echoes? Do they feel hopeful or something else? Editor: Hmm, maybe a little melancholic. Like fragments of stories fading away. Is it typical for an artist to show all sides of a pot in one composition? Curator: Not necessarily "typical," but deeply insightful. It acknowledges that objects, like ourselves, have hidden depths, sides unseen. It invites contemplation of what's hidden versus what's presented. Plus, a flask is designed to be held and turned, no? This composition embodies that sense of exploration, as it rotates in the mind's eye. It also highlights that even the mundane possesses unseen beauty, a message so poetic to hear from such commonplace items! Editor: That makes so much sense! Seeing all aspects represented really opens up a deeper reading of a familiar thing. It's beautiful how Delasser makes us see beyond the object. Curator: Absolutely, that’s what moves me about art - these simple gestures that reveal grand truths.