Cane 1935 - 1942

Curator: Edmond Lorts crafted this image of a cane using watercolor and pencil between 1935 and 1942. The realism is striking, don't you think? Editor: I do, but before we delve into that, the composition strikes me as rather straightforward. The cane is centered, almost symmetrical... there's a stillness that emanates. Curator: Considering the historical context, that stillness could be deceptive. Think about the 1930s and 40s – a period marked by economic depression, rising fascism, and global conflict. A seemingly simple cane might symbolize power structures, social control, or even resistance depending on who wields it. Editor: I see what you mean. But I'm drawn to the craftsmanship visible in Lorts' rendering. Notice the textured grip, and how the light plays on the carved details further down the shaft. The varying densities in the watercolor suggest so much about the object’s form and tactile presence. Curator: Yes, and those details likely carry social significance. Is it a symbol of bourgeois leisure? Is the cane crudely made from salvaged materials hinting at socioeconomic strife? What kind of person needs this support? Every mark suggests a story to me. Editor: Formally, that darker tone across the handle segment functions well to create focal contrast in this rather simplified study. It also provides a visual anchor, balancing the work and adding complexity that transcends just representation. Curator: Indeed. Think of the symbolic weight everyday objects accumulate in times of upheaval. Lorts created it during the Interwar and WWII periods, possibly responding to contemporary notions about debilitation, access, care or otherness by representing something associated with mobility limitations or personal sovereignty Editor: Lorts has made the subject appear weighty for being painted with watercolor. The use of washes is incredibly deceptive for adding dimensionality and depth, suggesting a sense of gravitas and substantial volume. Curator: Seeing this drawing has made me consider more deeply the various ways power manifests materially, the kinds of lives represented here only by synecdoche... It’s provoked several avenues for further study, actually. Editor: It has been an engaging and worthwhile viewing. Focusing our conversation with that attention to material has also provided the conversation, I think, with some clarity.