But wait 0til next week 1920

Editor: This is Norman Rockwell's "But wait 0til next week," an oil painting from 1920. There's such an intimate, nostalgic feeling to it, and I'm struck by the expressions on the children's faces and also the cute puppy dog peeking through the door crack, too! How do you interpret this work? Curator: The symbols here are layered. Consider the pipes, seemingly adult accoutrements, placed in the mouths of these children. This isn't just childhood mimicry, it is cultural memory being performed. What emotional reaction do you have to this? Editor: It makes me think about pretending to be grown up, the innocence mixed with the desire for sophistication. Curator: Exactly. Now, look closer. Notice the juxtaposition of the straw hat versus the wool cap and how that highlights socio-economic status. The 'play acting' feels a little less innocent when you read that symbolism into the whole composition. Editor: I didn't initially read so much into the hat choices, it is interesting that you point out a reference to socio-economic symbolism being highlighted there. How much do you think Rockwell intentionally encoded such complexities? Curator: Rockwell was acutely aware of American culture and ideals, especially the constructed and aspirational versions of it often celebrated through imagery. Do you see the same awareness being prevalent today? Editor: Absolutely! Especially on social media, everyone seems to be playing a role, performing an idea of themselves. I can see that in this painting too, a carefully constructed narrative. Curator: And this is the power of visual symbols: shaping not only memory but the continued performances of our identities. We learn so much from this picture by connecting imagery to cultural studies. Editor: I had never considered it from that lens! Now it gives me more to think about!