Crock c. 1936

Editor: Here we have Yolande Delasser’s "Crock" from around 1936, a drawing made with coloured pencil and oil paint on paper. There's something quite simple, even homely about it... It feels like an advertisement for something. What catches your eye about this composition? Curator: The stark juxtaposition of forms interests me greatly. Notice how Delasser has created almost two separate planes on the page: the square in the upper left containing a carefully delineated flower, against the backdrop of the larger form, an earthenware crock featuring a rather graphic depiction of a bird. Editor: Graphic? You mean, like, a strong image? Curator: Precisely. It appears stenciled almost, doesn’t it? This flat representation set against the three-dimensional modeling of the crock establishes a dynamic tension. Furthermore, the cool blues against the warm browns contribute to the artwork's structural harmony. How does the interplay between these hues affect your interpretation? Editor: I hadn't noticed it like that before, the way it's organized in terms of blocks of colour and shape. Now that you point it out, I can see the balance in the distribution. Do you think that’s intentional? Curator: The deliberate nature of the composition—the carefully placed flower, the centered crock—suggests a structured artistic approach, almost as if the composition itself takes precedence over the subject matter. Whether this conscious design or mere intuition informed her choices, the overall impact is undeniably one of balanced formalism. Editor: I can see what you mean about "balanced formalism." That helps me appreciate what Delasser accomplished by looking at the work with that approach. Thanks. Curator: My pleasure. Sometimes, all it takes is viewing the components independently.