Flour Barrel c. 1938

Curator: Immediately, there’s a sort of unassuming beauty to this work; it’s almost mundane. Editor: That's an interesting point to raise. This is Wilbur M Rice's "Flour Barrel," made around 1938. What we're seeing is a carefully rendered watercolor and drawing. It seems very unassuming, yes, but I'd argue that that very plainness speaks volumes about its time. Curator: Plainness perhaps belies the attention paid to the material itself, a fascination with utility? The artist takes clear joy in portraying the texture of the wood, a simple object, celebrating the process by which we consume. How the flour gets from the farm to the family. Editor: And in a moment of immense socio-economic distress. Think about the context: 1938. We're talking about the tail end of the Great Depression. "Flour Barrel" represents food security. Rice has preserved the symbolism of survival. Is it only about flour? Or the family, gendered labor roles, and poverty that this flour barrel feeds? Curator: The way Rice employs watercolor to mimic the woodgrain is certainly masterful, given that it is "only" a watercolour illustration. We must consider this material—paper, pigment—were resources with their own histories of trade and production. Rice would have had to choose which ones. Editor: True, that choice of media reflects something too; a direct link to those communities most vulnerable. As a society we continue to debate about class, what it represents in accessing these resources. Curator: What I find fascinating is the directness. The composition forces us to see. Rice isn't trying to distract from the raw, material object itself. It’s like he's saying, "Here it is. Don’t forget how simply things begin.” Editor: And yet, look at how even something as seemingly benign as a flour barrel has embedded significance within broader social concerns and questions of who it provides sustenance to, especially in an era defined by precarity. It’s a powerful reminder that all objects are embedded in their cultural moments. Curator: Well, you've given me a great deal to consider here, from Rice’s material choices to how his composition choices really frame the viewing experience, a valuable discussion indeed. Editor: And I’m struck, as always, that what is presented as merely an object is very much interwoven in issues of survival and social commentary.