Sugar Bowl 1935 - 1942

Curator: I’m immediately struck by how tactile this watercolor of a sugar bowl appears. The textures of the glass seem almost palpable despite being rendered on paper. Editor: Indeed. What we have here is a watercolor and graphite rendering on paper by John Tarantino, created between 1935 and 1942. It's simply titled, *Sugar Bowl*. I'm especially intrigued by what its presence means as an object depicted during the Depression. Curator: Absolutely. The choice of depicting such an object during those times is indeed thought-provoking. Sugar, a luxury for some, displayed in a crafted, possibly mass-produced, glass bowl... The piece hints at social stratification. Editor: Or even aspirations towards better times. Sugar was more commonplace during the 30s-40s, its increased availability was a symbol of the industrialized production chain. The availability of consumer goods and glass manufacturing techniques are relevant points here. Also, this watercolor rendering itself signals art's use beyond "high art". It would perhaps be something accessible for commercial use or a magazine. Curator: It's quite detailed for preparatory work; the way Tarantino captures light playing on the quilted pattern of the glass. There’s a sense of care taken to properly represent form and light effects in the medium of glass; what's the labor like reproducing and examining these effects through his materials? Editor: It feels charged with intention; it's a document of sorts for its historical era and its consumer industry. And on its reception in art spaces. Curator: I agree entirely. We're left pondering on this object’s material qualities and production, as much as its place within the socioeconomic landscape of its time. Editor: Precisely. It reminds us to consider these glassworks through art’s various public roles and as material artifacts, intertwining the story of artistic representation with cultural meanings.