Jug c. 1937

Editor: Here we have William Frank's "Jug," circa 1937, a drawing on paper using watercolor. I'm really drawn to the muted palette; it gives a sense of age and simplicity to a very everyday object. How would you interpret Frank's focus here? Curator: Precisely. The restrained color choices and the artist’s meticulous rendering of light and shadow underscore the essential form of the jug. Notice the artist’s careful delineation of the object, it focuses on the interplay between line and form. How does the texture of the jug's surface contribute to its visual weight? Editor: It seems like he is creating these horizontal striations, and the gentle color shifts, to give it a feeling of being very heavy and grounded. Curator: Indeed, the drawing invites us to appreciate the subtle qualities inherent in everyday objects and Frank encourages us to consider these aspects in isolation. The semiotic components present on the pitcher reference another time, but also function as another level of semiotic encoding. Editor: Oh, interesting, that even what’s on the surface of the jug acts as its own visual system to be analyzed? Curator: Yes, precisely. The artist calls attention to both the history inscribed within the design of the object, and in the act of carefully portraying the object. Editor: I'm beginning to see that even in something that seems so straightforward, there are complex choices in color, texture, and line that communicate much more. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure, indeed there is much to be seen.