Ice Cream Mold c. 1941

Editor: Here we have "Ice Cream Mold," a watercolor and pencil drawing from around 1941 by Chris Makrenos. It depicts two views of the same hinged mold, shaped like a scallop shell. It feels very meticulous, almost like a technical drawing, yet the shell form evokes something playful. What do you make of it? Curator: The scallop shell carries a remarkable weight of symbolism, doesn't it? Think of its association with pilgrimage, particularly to Santiago de Compostela. It also signifies Aphrodite, goddess of love, born from the sea in a shell. These layered meanings lend a surprising richness to a seemingly mundane object like an ice cream mold. Editor: That's fascinating! So even something as simple as a kitchen tool can connect us to these grand narratives? Curator: Precisely. Consider how we imbue everyday objects with meaning. The artist, even subconsciously, may have been drawn to the shell's form precisely because of its inherent symbolic resonance. Does the gray palette influence the work's symbolism? Does it relate to austerity measures introduced by the United States in the early 1940s? Editor: It's almost melancholic, isn’t it? Like a memento of happier times. It's striking how a drawing of an ice cream mold can open up conversations about cultural memory, class, religion, and symbolism. Thank you. Curator: A seemingly simple object, yet pregnant with echoes of the past and hints of collective experiences. Wonderful.