Pole Screen and Candlestand c. 1936

Elizabeth Curtis made this ‘Pole Screen and Candlestand’ using watercolor and graphite on paper. Can you imagine her gently building up the wood grain with subtle strokes, layer upon layer? I get a real sense of care and attention in this piece. I wonder if Curtis was thinking about the daily lives of the people who might have used such a piece of furniture? Maybe she imagined the soft glow of candlelight illuminating a room, or the way the screen might have offered a bit of privacy. You can see the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement in the attention to simple, functional design, with the emphasis on the handmade. It reminds me of some of the outsider artists I admire, who find beauty in the everyday. Curtis seems to be saying something about the value of craftsmanship and the beauty of simple forms. It's all connected, you know? We're all just riffing off each other, trying to make sense of the world through what we make.