Tin & Wall Paper Cross c. 1937

Editor: Here we have Majel G. Claflin’s “Tin & Wall Paper Cross,” created around 1937. It’s a mixed-media piece, using watercolor and drawing techniques. I'm really struck by the almost industrial look combined with delicate wallpaper patterns. It’s such an interesting juxtaposition! What do you make of this unexpected combination? Curator: I'm immediately drawn to the materiality itself. Claflin seems interested in disrupting the traditional hierarchies between fine art and craft. Tin, often associated with labor and everyday objects, is placed alongside wallpaper, typically a domestic and decorative element. Editor: So you're saying it's not just about the image, but also about what it's made of? Curator: Precisely. Consider the social context of the 1930s. There's the Great Depression and the Works Progress Administration’s (WPA) Federal Art Project. Claflin was actually a part of this. She's potentially commenting on resourcefulness, reuse, and perhaps even a blurring of class lines. Is this 'high' art or craftwork made from repurposed materials? The medium itself becomes part of the message. What does the process of production communicate to you? Editor: I didn't think of the WPA connection, that is super interesting. It almost feels like she's elevating the ordinary. By using those materials, the work gains a layer of complexity, almost like she is using the process of artmaking to question conventions. Curator: Exactly! By highlighting these humble materials and elevating them in a fine art context, the piece challenges our very definition of "art". Do you see anything else about the process or material to take note of? Editor: Now that I know all that, it brings a new perspective on art as a reflection of not just creativity, but also resourcefulness, process, and material exploration. Curator: Indeed, and Claflin reminds us to consider not just what we see, but how it came to be.