Army Kit c. 1942

Editor: This is "Army Kit," a watercolor and colored pencil drawing by Carl Buergerniss, dating from around 1942. The collection of everyday items, like the mirror and what appears to be a cutlery set, gives it a surprisingly intimate feel, considering the context of war. What strikes you most about it? Curator: I’m drawn to the contrast between the banality of the objects depicted, and the materiality of their rendering. Consider the production of these items: mass-manufactured utensils sitting alongside what looks like a handmade fabric roll. Editor: So, you're saying the way these items are *made* informs our understanding? Curator: Precisely. What kind of labour goes into making something versus another? Is it the product of industrial manufacturing geared toward supporting the war effort? Is it a home craft project, born out of necessity or maybe love? Think of where the materials might come from. Are they war rations or materials destined to become something else recycled into something comforting and beautiful in difficult circumstances? The domestic mirror could suggest concerns about image and identity even amidst conflict, perhaps raising questions about the social roles being performed both on the front lines and at home. Editor: That's fascinating; I hadn't considered how the materials themselves tell such a detailed story about production and the impact of the war. Curator: Absolutely. Looking at the "Army Kit" this way reveals the hidden social relations embedded within the artwork, connecting personal experience to larger historical forces. Editor: I will definitely be more attentive to the medium used, considering the labour and manufacturing implications tied to it. Curator: It can offer powerful insight, linking the object, the artist and a society at large.