Cigar Store Soldier c. 1936

Curator: What a find! Rex F. Bush's "Cigar Store Soldier," dating from around 1936. It’s rendered in watercolor and portrays a figure with…well, quite the personality. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the almost cartoonish quality combined with the clear effort put into mimicking the soldier's uniform. The medium reinforces that tension – watercolor for something so closely linked with a traditionally masculine object, the cigar store soldier, is really intriguing. Curator: Absolutely. There's a blatant caricature at play, mocking not just the soldier, but arguably, the entire social role assigned to men in military service. The absurdity almost screams Dada. Consider the historical context: Bush created this in the midst of the Great Depression, with rumblings of war on the horizon. The piece questions what men were being sold, metaphorically speaking, as protectors and heroes. Editor: I'm keen on thinking about how the watercolor affects our experience. It’s almost like Bush is pointing to the impermanence of this "soldier," a mere object whose production involves readily accessible materials like watercolor paints and paper – demystifying this militaristic symbol. What kind of factory, studio, or workshop produced similar sculptures during the time? It forces a consideration of mass production, consumerism and gender roles. Curator: The choice to use watercolor seems purposeful. Watercolors inherently lack the perceived gravity or authority of oils or sculpture, underscoring this subversion of the military image. His academic background is at play here, with a satirical voice and commentary. Editor: Looking at the production of cigar store soldiers themselves, one finds diverse craft traditions, workshops engaging both trained artists and artisans specializing in the repetitive production of individual features on many identical figures, really pushing boundaries on "high" and "low" art distinctions of the era. This watercolour encapsulates similar social tensions that materialize across all artistic media. Curator: I find it intriguing how a seemingly straightforward caricature drawing prompts reflection on a multitude of interwoven themes related to masculinity, societal pressures, and militarism. Editor: It reveals the very structures of commodity production and identity in 1930s America, really making you rethink the meaning attached to commonplace materials like watercolor!