Silver Strainer 1935 - 1942

Curator: Today we’re looking at Herman Bader's "Silver Strainer," a drawing created sometime between 1935 and 1942. It's a humble yet captivating depiction of a kitchen utensil. Editor: My initial impression is one of domestic tranquility and also… constraint. The meticulous details evoke a feeling of being confined by routine. The way the artist painstakingly renders the strainer suggests labor. Curator: That's an interesting interpretation, and something to think about as we consider the historical context. Think about the austerity of the late 1930s and early 40s. What does such an ordinary object say about how people made do during that time, about issues of rationing and availability of resources? This isn’t just about making dinner. It’s about scarcity, access, class. Editor: For me, the strainer itself speaks volumes beyond that practical functionality. In cultures throughout history, sieves and strainers appear as symbols. They relate to processes of discernment, of sifting the good from the bad, or the sacred from the profane. This could be a reference to judgement, or even spiritual purification. Curator: And perhaps, given that Bader was designing housewares, that resonates as well – how to define 'good' and 'bad' within the social norms of design, to strain out the elements that do not serve the established power. And to think, all these loaded references in a simple household object, sketched with such loving care using graphite. It brings a subtle grace to an item that might otherwise go unnoticed. Editor: Absolutely. I find the visual repetition of the strainer's perforations creates a subtle rhythm, a visual mantra suggesting that things are as they should be in their designed and ordained sequence, however restrictive it is. There is both constraint, but also potential here. Curator: Looking closely at how Bader has chosen to represent this strainer has given me so much to consider about the larger social landscape and hidden messages of utilitarian objects during that period. Editor: For me, the piece encourages viewers to reconsider the deeper meanings embedded in ordinary things, to find historical resonance in visual echoes of the everyday, and symbolic depth beyond practical use.