Jug c. 1938

Editor: Here we have Jessica Price's "Jug," created around 1938. It seems to be watercolor and drawing. The piece depicts a utilitarian object. What strikes you most when you look at this? Curator: It's fascinating how Price chose to depict such an everyday object. For me, it's all about labor and materiality. The jug, likely mass-produced, speaks to the industrial processes of the time. What do you think about the inscription on the jug and the meaning behind the decision of the artist to highlight these particular aspects of a humble object through watercolor? Editor: I hadn't thought about mass production. Highlighting "John Han" perhaps alludes to specific laborers and the rise of consumer culture. Is the choice of watercolor significant in elevating craft? Curator: Exactly! Watercolor, traditionally a medium for landscapes or portraits, elevates this functional item. Consider the artist's labor in replicating the jug so realistically. She painstakingly mimics the glazes, perhaps nodding to ceramic's complex craft traditions. This transcends typical genre categories. Why choose this subject over something conventionally “artistic”? Editor: So, by depicting this mass-produced item, the artist draws attention to the means of production, and elevates craft into high art by the way it's represented, and the context it is placed into. I am interested in how the selection of subject affects the definition of “high art." Curator: Precisely. We’re pushed to rethink the artistic value chain – where does 'art' truly begin? Editor: Thanks, this new point of view gave me a lot to think about in this artwork.