Chest c. 1938

Curator: Margery Parish's watercolor drawing, titled "Chest," dates from around 1938. It’s an intriguing piece. Editor: It does have a striking, immediate feel. I get this sense of something hand-hewn, rudimentary… a folksy charm, maybe even a little bit eerie. Is that a bull? Curator: Indeed it is! And I think "folksy" is a great descriptor for Parish's art. She frequently depicted Pennsylvania Dutch folk art motifs. The painting gives the impression of painted wood. Editor: Painted wood, you say? That’s really what I find compelling. Here's this traditional storage object—functional, meant for everyday life, reimagined through the medium of watercolour. I am curious about its dimensions. Curator: Unfortunately, the exact dimensions of the would-be chest depicted are not listed, but I would venture to guess, knowing Parish’s inspirations, that it is domestic, possibly meant to store keepsakes or linen. See how she mimics a wood grain in the medium? It's not trying to trick you, it's almost like playing with your perceptions. Editor: Yes, absolutely! It feels like such a deliberate nod to the material, an elevation of what might otherwise be seen as simple or domestic craft. The little figure in a peculiar hat—all point towards some traditional playfulness. Curator: There’s definitely that. What seems like simple play could also reference rituals we no longer quite remember, too. Editor: Or perhaps that "folksy" aesthetic makes it ripe for modernization? We see this so often as art objects become fetishized in consumer culture. Curator: Precisely, yes! I am sure this makes Parish a wry social observer of these habits. Well, that has given me a lot to think about! Editor: As for me, I want to search up the objects of that era and ponder them alongside her watercolor rendition.