Carved Wooden Hitching Post c. 1939

Editor: This is Rose Campbell-Gerke's "Carved Wooden Hitching Post" from around 1939. It seems to be a drawing, maybe pencil or charcoal. There’s a certain stillness in the way she's depicted this aged, weathered wooden post. What stands out to you in this drawing? Curator: What grabs me is the rendering of material decay, the very stuff that constitutes the object itself. Notice the rendering of the wood grain, the careful indication of cracks, and what looks like the ghost of some previous coat of paint. These details speak to use, to labor, to the life of this utilitarian object. Editor: It does look very worn. So, it's not just about the post itself, but also what the wear and tear tells us? Curator: Precisely. Campbell-Gerke isn’t simply documenting a form. She is revealing the effects of material conditions. What does it mean to elevate such an object – something typically dismissed as "craft" or mere function – through the fine art of drawing? She prompts us to rethink those hierarchies and examine the cultural value we ascribe to different modes of making. It would be interesting to know more about where this was made, and what material realities prevailed there at the time. Editor: So, by focusing on the materials and how they change over time, she’s blurring the lines between art and craft, form and function? Curator: Exactly. We see not just the *what* but the *how* and *why* of its existence. And perhaps even, by implication, the *who*: whose hands shaped this post, whose animals were tied to it, and how the rhythms of labor shaped that community. Editor: That gives me a whole new perspective on it. It’s not just a pretty picture; it’s a story about work and time. Thanks! Curator: Indeed. Paying attention to the material opens up so much more to consider. It certainly changed my perspective as well!