Design from China Closet 1935 - 1942

Editor: This watercolor drawing is titled "Design from China Closet," and it's from sometime between 1935 and 1942, by Ferdinand Cartier. I'm immediately drawn to the elegant simplicity, the warm tones, and the geometric forms, although they are quite unusual. How would you interpret this work? Curator: It's intriguing how this design fragment evokes both opulence and restraint. The Art Deco style, popular during that period, was often associated with luxury and modernity, accessible to all, through functional objects. How do you think the context of the interwar period, and the rise of mass production might influence how we see a “design from a china closet”? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't really considered the impact of the era's push for accessible design on something seemingly so specific like this china closet design. Does the 'china closet' signify wealth? Curator: Precisely! During this period, a china closet filled with decorative ceramics represented both domesticity and social status, reflecting middle-class aspirations that would change rapidly after WWII. Could this drawing also represent an anxiety towards social mobility? Perhaps mass production made certain decorative objects too readily available, losing their allure for the upper class. Editor: I can see that. So, what might this fragmented, almost unfinished design suggest about changing social dynamics? Curator: Perhaps it suggests a breaking down of established tastes or traditional symbols of wealth. The incompleteness might reflect an ongoing negotiation of values, challenging traditional social signifiers in favor of something new and less obviously elitist. The fact that this is just a design, removed from the actual manufactured product speaks volumes. Editor: So the object has become separated from the artistic skill needed to make it! That's definitely changed how I see the artwork. Curator: Indeed. The conversation it begins about value, accessibility, and the cultural context shapes our understanding of it. I find it really fascinating.