Shelf Clock c. 1937

Curator: There's a certain solemnity evoked by this charcoal drawing; its precision is captivating. Editor: I agree. What we’re looking at here is "Shelf Clock," rendered circa 1937 by Louis Plogsted. A strikingly geometric composition, wouldn’t you say? Curator: Indeed. Beyond its geometric construction, the clock becomes an allegorical device—a meditation on temporality and perhaps the ephemerality of existence itself. Think about what a clock symbolized in that era: the inexorable march of progress, or, for some, the threat of an ever-encroaching, industrialized future. Editor: The texture achieved with charcoal lends a weightiness, a presence, to the object. Notice the rendering of the wood grain and the light as it streams across the clock face. Plogsted uses chiaroscuro techniques masterfully. The sharp lines contrasting with the soft shading. It gives dimension and almost seems photorealistic. Curator: I am drawn to the clock face itself; it presents something like an ancient Roman sundial. This feels purposeful—to imbue an item of modern time-telling with historicism. What does it tell us about memory and identity, and the construction of a uniquely American artistic language? Editor: Good point. Also notice the pendulum isn’t visible! It gives you an uncanny feel. Almost like time has frozen or stopped completely. Curator: Perhaps it is an appeal to slow down. Editor: That makes sense; perhaps time should slow, so that we may reflect on memory and historicism like you suggested! I initially saw only formality but now find the deeper meanings. Curator: A still, symbolic center to meditate and reflect. This piece is still echoing for me, somehow.