Mortar and Pestle c. 1941

Editor: Here we have "Mortar and Pestle," a drawing in pencil and charcoal, created around 1941. I find its starkness quite powerful. How do you interpret this work? Curator: This seemingly simple drawing resonates deeply when we consider the socio-political climate of 1941. Beyond just depicting a utilitarian object, it’s worth examining how this mortar and pestle speaks to themes of labor, self-sufficiency, and perhaps even resistance during a period marked by global conflict and widespread economic hardship. What domestic practices did it serve, and who was served by that work? Editor: Resistance? I wouldn't have considered that. Is there something inherently political about representing a kitchen tool? Curator: Not inherently, but context is key. Everyday objects often hold hidden narratives. The act of drawing, the deliberate focus on something so quotidian during wartime... could this be read as a quiet assertion of domesticity, of the enduring importance of food and preparation, of female labor within the household during periods of dramatic, often male-dominated, upheaval? Do you see echoes of, say, the Farm Security Administration photographs in this work? Editor: Now that you mention it, there's a similar starkness, a kind of unvarnished look at everyday life. Curator: Exactly. And thinking intersectionally, whose stories are often missing from dominant historical narratives? This artwork prompts us to consider the unacknowledged labor that sustains communities and cultures. And also, who possesses that knowledge to create, and maintain, certain cultural recipes. Who has access to the medicine they can create through these tools? Editor: I see. So, by elevating a simple mortar and pestle, the artist might be making a statement about the value of overlooked work and knowledge. Thanks. This piece makes so much more sense to me now. Curator: And by questioning the narratives we automatically construct, we uncover further meaning in art, which in turn allows us to connect the art and the culture that it comes from.