Anchor Link c. 1938

Editor: This is Samuel Faigin's "Anchor Link" from around 1938. It appears to be watercolor on paper, depicting, well, an anchor link. It strikes me as so ordinary, yet the detail gives it this… solemn weight. What’s your take on it? Curator: Ah, yes, Faigin's embrace of the mundane! To me, it’s more than just an anchor link. Think about what an anchor does: it grounds, it secures, it connects us to something bigger. Perhaps in the tumultuous pre-war era, Faigin was seeking that sense of stability, even in a simple object? The rusty, weathered texture suggests age and resilience, doesn't it? Almost like a visual poem about perseverance. What do you think about his use of watercolors to portray something typically so cold and hard as metal? Editor: I hadn't considered that! The anchor as a metaphor. Using watercolors to capture metal seems paradoxical…almost softening the harsh reality of industry. Curator: Exactly! It's like he’s trying to find the beauty and significance in the everyday, the industrial, through a traditionally delicate medium. Look closely at how he builds up the tones; it’s almost sculptural. It's this attention to detail, this quiet reverence, that elevates the ordinary. What if the “Anchor Link” represents our own connections? What ties us down, but also keeps us afloat? Editor: Wow, I am definitely going to be thinking about *my* anchor links now! Thanks! Curator: And I am reminded of how much weight a simple object can hold when viewed with intention. A small anchor, indeed.