Newel Post 1938

Curator: This drawing by Louis Plogsted, created around 1938, is titled "Newel Post." Editor: It looks…severe. Very stylized. The sepia tones lend it an archaic quality, almost like an architectural blueprint that hasn’t quite decided whether it wants to be imposing or merely functional. Curator: Functionality isn't necessarily a goal of drawings, even when the work represents functional art. Plogsted appears to be working in the Academic style, referencing classical motifs to represent concepts of justice, power, and authority. Let’s consider its context—1938 was hardly a stable moment. Editor: Absolutely. We have the spear and helmet—symbols of Athena, or perhaps a generalized idea of military strength and wisdom, which rests atop what appears to be an almost Egyptian sphinx-like creature, further speaking to a specific, even burdened, understanding of the passage of time and power. Curator: And isn’t it interesting that this image is not of a historical artifact, but is in fact meant to depict one that serves the functional, quotidian, purpose of a newel post. It points towards the monumentality sought after at the time, as a sense of grounding after economic devastation, and right before another global conflict. But I also find it telling that he chooses to highlight these forms of authority when considering interior design. This domesticity, charged with power and vigilance is a strong statement. Editor: Yes, charged with power, but also maybe, in some way, anxious about it. These forms are rendered not to appear indestructible but made to resemble, from the coloring to the form, the fleeting ephemerality of old photographs. Almost haunted, really, in their premonitory nostalgia for an imagined stability. Curator: Perhaps. Though I think to consider what type of home this Newel Post was envisioned for will help us discern exactly to whom this announcement of power was for, and whether it succeeded in making anyone feel stable at all. Editor: Well, considering Plogsted’s ability to pull from such a wealth of imagery and symbolic frameworks, the home that houses this image could potentially serve as an allegorical archive in itself, reflecting layered memories and cultural identities. Curator: And considering the state of things when this drawing was composed, the home in question runs the risk of turning into one too. Editor: Indeed. Thanks for providing that illuminating context. Curator: My pleasure. It seems we’ve barely scratched the surface, but perhaps this brief encounter encourages further thought and examination of "Newel Post."