Candlestick 1935 - 1942

Curator: Here we have "Candlestick," a watercolor and drawing created by John Dana sometime between 1935 and 1942. What's your initial take on this piece? Editor: Hmm, it’s like looking at something familiar through a strange filter. That green… it feels both nostalgic and unsettling, like a childhood memory tinged with something vaguely menacing. Curator: It's fascinating how a seemingly simple object can evoke such feelings. Dana's choice of rendering, this geometric yet slightly off-kilter drawing of a candlestick, likely reflects the artistic trends of the period. The geometric composition and sharp lines indicate an interest in modernism and perhaps even the influence of Art Deco. Editor: Definitely feel that geometry, but it's softened by the watercolors. It makes me think of someone trying to hold onto tradition in a world that's rapidly changing, or a very optimistic robot offering you light. There's that odd sense of contrast, too; the medium feels delicate, but the lines themselves suggest some machine precision. Curator: I see what you mean. The candlestick as a domestic object, presented in this medium, challenges the hierarchies often imposed within art, between the ‘fine’ and the ‘applied.’ Art and craft are democratized to some extent here, or at least seen within the same picture frame. Editor: Maybe it's that almost-neon yellow-green, but the candlestick gives me that uncanny feeling like I just walked onto a movie set of Pleasantville— where the color starts seeping back into the world… but in a way you don't entirely trust. Is the illumination welcome, or invasive? Curator: That tension, the welcoming versus the invasive light, is key. Especially when we consider that this was created during a period of economic depression and impending global conflict. The choice to render a mundane object in such detail perhaps reflects an interest in imbuing the everyday with beauty and meaning, a quiet act of resistance, almost. Editor: I’d almost describe it as futurist yet ancient, all at once. You've got this very modern form but presented in such an archaic style that almost clashes, don't you think? It’s a collision. Curator: A fitting description for that era, wouldn't you agree? Thank you for bringing your insights to our audio guide. Editor: The pleasure was all mine. Let there be slightly unnerving, but beautifully painted, light.