Pa. German Flat-iron Holder c. 1938

Editor: So, this is Filippo Porreca's "Pa. German Flat-iron Holder," from around 1938. It's a pencil drawing on paper. I find it fascinating how a mundane object like an iron holder can be rendered with such detail. What stands out to you about it? Curator: Immediately, I'm drawn to the choice of depicting this everyday object. We're invited to consider not just its form, meticulously rendered in pencil, but its function and place within a specific social and economic structure. The flat-iron holder wasn't just a tool; it speaks to labor, domestic life, and perhaps even the gendered division of work within the Pennsylvania German community. Editor: I hadn't considered the labor aspect so directly. Curator: Look at the precision of the drawing. The artist is documenting, almost archiving, a specific form of craft. The question becomes, why? What does it mean to elevate a functional, possibly mass-produced object, to the level of art through careful artistic rendering? Are we seeing an appreciation for craft traditions in the face of industrialization? Editor: That's a very interesting way to frame it, it highlights consumption and its own history in consumerism. Curator: Precisely. It also speaks to the relationship between high art and what is traditionally considered craft. By drawing a flat-iron holder, Porreca challenges those boundaries. Editor: So, you're saying the choice of subject and medium, the detailed execution, points us towards the social and material conditions surrounding the object itself? Curator: Exactly. It invites us to deconstruct how this object was made, used, and what meanings it held within its original context, while questioning the hierarchy between artistic and utilitarian practices. Editor: That gives me a completely different way to view the drawing. Curator: Indeed. It's less about aesthetics in a traditional sense and more about understanding the network of relations embedded within a simple object. Hopefully this gave a glimpse of social artistic practices. Editor: Definitely a lesson that opens eyes on this artwork. I now see the power it has and how labor it promotes can be portrayed as high end art.