Wood Carving - Scroll c. 1939

Editor: So, this is Lionel Ritchey's "Wood Carving - Scroll," done around 1939. It looks like watercolor on paper. The object itself seems…fragmentary. Almost like a discarded piece. What stands out to you? Curator: Discarded, or perhaps carefully considered documentation. Let’s consider the materiality – watercolor, traditionally used for studies and preparatory sketches. What kind of labor went into the original wood carving? What purpose did that carved scroll serve within a larger structure? Editor: You're suggesting this isn't just about the image itself, but about the unseen labor and the object’s original function? Was this carving part of mass production, maybe for furniture? Curator: Exactly. And we must remember the context. 1939 was a time of both economic hardship and industrial expansion. Was Ritchey celebrating craft, or critiquing the shift towards mass-produced ornament? Who would have consumed this object? These are important considerations. Is the artist commenting on labor through this close examination of material? Editor: It’s fascinating to think of the social context affecting the making of even a single, seemingly decorative, scroll. It changes how I perceive the purpose behind rendering it in watercolor. Curator: Precisely. We can challenge the traditional divide. It prompts a re-evaluation. Editor: Viewing the art piece beyond its surface really opens my mind to seeing it with a broader view. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure, it is interesting what context will provide.