Cup Holder c. 1937

Curator: I'm immediately struck by how… honest this piece is. Almost childlike, in its directness. Editor: Indeed. What we have here is a drawing titled "Cup Holder" created around 1937 by Irving L. Biehn. The medium appears to be a mix of charcoal and watercolor on toned paper. Curator: Cup Holder, eh? Seems almost like a cheeky misnomer. I see something primal here, almost totem-like, with that rudimentary head and jutting branches. Less about function, more about spirit, you know? Editor: It’s fascinating how utilitarian objects like cup holders—and the artistic depictions of them—can reveal so much about the culture and values of a specific time. Mass production, design innovation, leisure, are all bundled in this rather understated drawing. The precision is striking. Look how the woodgrain on the base is rendered, contrasting with the almost deliberately crude carving the artist depicted. Curator: Crude maybe isn't the right word for it. Untamed, perhaps. Like finding art already there, in the fallen branch, then just revealing it further. The cup itself is almost incidental – suggested as this shadowy halo... is it a sketch, or does the cup actually rest there in the artist’s mind? Editor: It raises interesting questions about Biehn's artistic intent, certainly. Was he interested in elevating a humble object, exploring form, or perhaps critiquing industrial design of the period through this primitivist style? The medium suggests study – perhaps a plan for an actual object, but it remains elusive, no? Curator: Yes! I bet there is so much to discover! Its beauty really blooms from the quiet mystery it holds in those earthy browns and creams and muted hues... gives you that old-timey melancholic sort of feeling… as if an artefact dug up from an olden-day civilization, only for cups. Editor: That it does. In fact, thinking about its potential to encourage reflection on function, craft and progress might be just as meaningful. I'm off to find out more. Thanks for walking through that with me.