Trammel c. 1938

Curator: Ah, this piece gives off an energy I find… unexpectedly whimsical. Is it a tool, perhaps? Editor: Indeed. This is "Trammel," created around 1938 by Wellington Blewett. It is crafted using both drawing techniques and metalwork. The detail here makes me ponder how something utilitarian morphs into a form also bearing a unique identity. Curator: Immediately I'm seeing more than just a utilitarian object. This isn't a factory piece; those stylized flourishes, the hand-worked feel, make it something… resonant. Does this connect to specific rituals? Were these forms part of cultural memory? Editor: Absolutely. The trammel itself – designed to hold pots over a fire and adjust the distance as needed - becomes a visual shorthand for the domestic hearth. A symbol of comfort but also self-sufficiency, which I suppose were significant values for people. Curator: Note the way its jagged edge simultaneously evokes danger and precision. It's a bit unsettling, actually. Are we meant to view it as some kind of weapon? It feels as if we are subconsciously reminded of a primordial impulse when encountering something both beautiful and deadly. Editor: That tension, that dialectic between function and ornamentation, feels distinctly modern, too. There’s a sense of almost obsessive craftsmanship present – as if Blewett were imbuing an everyday object with something profoundly personal. Maybe that’s why you pick up on those unsettling elements. Curator: The spiraling elements lend it the feel of written symbols. You get a sense there’s something like… visual poetry being explored, if such a thing exists! A written message perhaps that would need translation into action. Editor: I think Blewett managed to articulate something deep with just lines of metal. "Trammel", with its austere grace, becomes almost sculptural. Curator: For me it’s like unearthing a relic from the not-so-distant past, infused with latent memories and meaning. A fascinating exploration of what a simple household object can convey. Editor: It certainly gives us much to chew over, doesn't it? Food for thought in our ever changing world!