-Milking Cow- (reproduction) mechanical bank c. 1950s - 1960s

Curator: Looking at this piece, I'm struck by its somewhat melancholic simplicity. It's compact and nostalgic. Editor: This is a reproduction of a mechanical bank titled "-Milking Cow-," dating to around the 1950s or 60s. The original concept dates back much further. It’s cast metal, a multiple made for widespread consumption. Curator: So it's about mass production then. And about creating a desire—what child wouldn't want to deposit a coin and see the mechanical cow at work? There's something poignant in the very industrial process of constructing a rustic scene. Editor: Exactly. Think of the labor that went into both the original design and the re-casting process. Each step, from the choice of materials to the painting, reflects prevailing tastes and the pursuit of accessible art for the masses. Curator: The figures themselves are fairly unrefined, aren't they? Almost caricatured. The pastoral scene feels quaint, like a simplified memory. Editor: That simplicity is crucial. It reduces complex agricultural labor to a digestible, entertaining transaction. By using figuration to sell something like a bank, a commentary is made about the world of labour becoming more consumable for pleasure, entertainment and personal capital, shifting away from it as the backbone of society. This can even relate back to issues of land ownership, access and fair trade of goods produced in places such as a farm setting. Curator: I hadn’t considered it that deeply, but it definitely pushes me to view even a reproduction as carrying traces of social and economic forces. Editor: Every object is embedded in layers of meaning beyond its initial function. Curator: I suppose I entered into this piece looking for a cozy image of childhood. Now, I realize it makes you reflect on far more expansive notions of capital and consumption. Editor: Right, and I came hoping to discover an interesting object history, but also found that there's something quietly captivating in this interplay of industrial craft and genre painting.