Mission Fountain c. 1940

Editor: So, this is Raymond E. Noble's "Mission Fountain," from around 1940. It looks like it's done in watercolor and colored pencil. I’m struck by the geometric design of the fountain itself, how rigid the lines are. What strikes you about it? Curator: I'm immediately drawn to the materiality. Look at how the artist uses watercolor, typically associated with landscapes and atmospheric effects, to depict something man-made and architectural. The colored pencil likely served a functional role, employed to precisely define structural components. It pushes us to think about the societal expectations placed on the materials themselves. Why watercolor versus oil paint, for instance? Editor: That's interesting, I hadn't thought of it that way. Does that speak to the role or the perception of the artist themselves at that time? Curator: Possibly. Watercolors, often associated with sketching and preparatory work, raise questions about the perceived value of the finished product. Was this intended as a 'lesser' work, a study perhaps, not meant for grand display? Editor: I see. And linking that back to the subject matter, this is a functional object. Curator: Exactly. Noble’s choice in portraying a mundane yet essential structure with such care bridges divides – collapsing expectations between high art and craft and focusing attention on production itself. Editor: That makes me look at it differently. It’s less about the beauty of the fountain, more about understanding the processes involved in depicting it, and the social connotations of those processes. Curator: Precisely! It reveals how something as simple as artistic tools shapes value, meaning, and our broader understanding of labor. Editor: This has given me a new perspective to explore the world of art.