Bootjack c. 1942

Editor: Here we have Helen Hobart's "Bootjack," a pencil drawing from around 1942. I’m struck by how solid it feels, despite being rendered with such a delicate medium. It seems like an unassuming, functional object, yet it's given such careful attention. What's your perspective on this seemingly mundane subject? Curator: This seemingly simple drawing reveals a lot about material culture and the labor inherent in everyday life. Hobart, through her detailed rendering in pencil, elevates this tool, this bootjack, from a purely functional object to something worthy of artistic consideration. Consider the effort involved in manufacturing bootjacks. Editor: Right, someone had to design it, another to craft it, and then here’s Hobart representing it! It wasn't just conjured out of thin air. Curator: Precisely. And the date, circa 1942, places this drawing squarely within the context of World War II, a time when resources were scarce, and functionality was valued. Was Hobart trying to create the idea of "essential" vs "non essential" items? Or even elevate the value of handmade things in comparison to industrial production? It also prompts us to ask who would have been using this bootjack during this period, and what that tells us about class and lifestyle. The drawing forces us to acknowledge these layered considerations. Editor: I hadn’t really considered it in relation to the war effort, but that makes a lot of sense. I was just seeing it as…well, just a bootjack! Curator: The piece’s value lies in its material presence, in forcing us to examine the production and use of the simplest objects within a broader historical and economic framework. By doing so, we break down those artificial barriers between 'art' and 'life'. Editor: So it’s almost like she’s subtly questioning what we value and why? Thanks! That really does change how I see it.