Stoneware Jug c. 1937

Editor: So, this is "Stoneware Jug," a drawing on paper, in ink and watercolor, by Arthur Mathews around 1937. I’m really drawn to the simplicity of the lines. What stories do you think it tells? Curator: The seeming simplicity is deceiving, isn’t it? Consider the historical context: 1937, still within the Great Depression. What could a stoneware jug, rendered with such a deliberate, almost naive style, signify during a time of widespread scarcity? What does "White's Utica" inscribed on the lower jug tell you? It's likely a reference to a specific company. Editor: So, maybe it's about everyday life, finding beauty in basic objects despite hardships? And is the stoneware jug relevant to questions of gender or race in any specific way? Curator: Precisely. But let’s push further. The bird – seemingly free, decorative, perched amidst these jugs. Think about freedom of movement, or lack thereof, for different groups during that era. Who had access to mobility, and who was bound by economic or social constraints? The jugs could also represent the working class, both in industry and domestic labor. Stoneware often used in kitchens for storage, so think about women’s roles at the time. Does the folksy style then subvert academic approaches, embracing a more "democratic" aesthetic in its very form? Editor: That makes me reconsider everything! The bird is no longer just a pretty element. Curator: Art always operates within intersecting fields of power. We need to examine its role in reinforcing or challenging them. The jugs become less about the object and more about the lives that surrounded them, the systems they were embedded within. Editor: This conversation made me aware of so many connections. Thanks! Curator: The joy is in unpacking these layers, together! It encourages us to become active participants, not just passive viewers.