Ceiling Ornament c. 1936

Curator: This is Dana Bartlett's "Ceiling Ornament," circa 1936, created using watercolor and colored pencil. It really catches the eye, doesn’t it? Editor: It does. My first thought is…weaponry meets decoration? There's something strangely confrontational, almost aggressive, in what's supposed to be a ceiling decoration. The arrows radiating outward definitely give it an unsettling aura. Curator: Absolutely. Let’s consider the period. The 1930s were hardly peaceful. We see growing international tension, and an embrace of streamlining aesthetics. Do you notice the repeated arrowhead motif? It might imply not only a specific cultural purpose but perhaps also the technology or techniques used at the time of production. What do you make of it? Editor: Well, on one hand, the Art Deco style certainly favored geometric shapes, and those zig-zag lines almost feel electrical, very of the time. However, the symmetrical balance, combined with this… spear-like form? It reads to me like a crest, a family badge—only subverted with distinctly modern sensibilities. I think it signals to shifting power dynamics. Who gets to be at the table in the coming century, politically. Curator: Very astute. These decorative elements weren't isolated—they were incorporated in commercial interiors like theaters, hotels, or department stores. I see this drawing as a prototype—something fabricated with a small team. And given Bartlett’s location, perhaps that ornamentation reflects his position within his cultural sphere? Editor: Indeed. There's something quite arresting about the palette—blues and reds married in sharp contrast with earthier, warm browns. The addition of what look like wings throws an odd curve into this analysis, almost implying liberation while maintaining tension through that core image of projectile violence. Is there some dichotomy here between aspiration and restriction within our current climate politically? Curator: Precisely. The ornament suggests dual function and hints at luxury, craft, and mass manufacturing. Consider how it could've been applied—stenciled, molded, perhaps even projected? These are all factors contributing to the meaning embedded in something deemed decorative. Editor: So ultimately, this "ornament" forces us to acknowledge the anxieties of a society poised on the brink. Curator: Exactly. A fascinating blend of high style, modern utility and undercurrents that expose this artist's world of design in the twentieth century. Editor: I'd agree, I'd consider this piece's function a mirror for historical tensions.