Flask c. 1941

Curator: Here we have Hal Blakeley's "Flask," dating circa 1941, rendered in watercolor and colored pencil. Editor: The cool palette immediately strikes me. The rendering has a beautiful almost ethereal quality. It reminds me of something delicate, like antique glass. Curator: It’s intriguing how Blakeley chose this object. The flask itself is, of course, a functional object, but the inclusion of the horn of plenty or cornucopia motif elevates it, layering it with concepts of prosperity and abundance. This symbol is itself complicated, originating in Greek myth before being resignified throughout Western history in religious contexts to political symbolism in Colonial America, specifically as propaganda during the Great Depression. Editor: The artist's technique definitely reinforces that reading. The linework is so clean, so precise, creating these beautifully delineated shapes. Notice how the color isn't simply applied, but subtly gradated, suggesting dimensionality and light. Curator: Exactly. This suggests that, despite its seeming innocuousness, the composition comments directly on how cultural ideologies shape value. During the 1940s, conversations surrounding national identity were highly visible within US art and political policy. Who has access to prosperity, and under what conditions, would have been highly visible question. Blakeley thus complicates access to the idea of plenty. Editor: The symmetry contributes to the work’s harmony and balanced form. There’s a quiet beauty to the execution of the work; it is still life drawing elevated by that central device. Curator: I agree. While deceptively simple in form, Blakeley's "Flask" serves as a potent commentary on cultural expectations around class and prosperity. Editor: The careful formal choices elevate it to a compelling symbolic arrangement, highlighting the material properties through those subtle shifts of hue. I appreciate it more knowing the backstory.