Object (Roses des Vents) 1953

Curator: This intriguing construction is Joseph Cornell's "Object (Roses des Vents)," dating from 1953. It's an assemblage, primarily of mixed-media and found objects, mounted within a wooden box. Editor: It feels like peering into someone's private universe! All those compartments filled with curious little treasures…there’s something both playful and melancholic about it, don't you think? Curator: Absolutely. The box as a container has a rich history, connoting ideas of memory, the safekeeping of precious things, even a sort of reliquary function. Here, the map fragments lining the lid—specifically labeled with distant locales—speak to themes of exploration and perhaps a longing for travel. Editor: Exactly! And that grid of small lenses at the bottom…are they peepholes? It makes me wonder what narratives Cornell invites us to construct as we move our gaze from object to object, compartment to compartment. Are these glimpses of possible other worlds, each view framed by its own little portal? Curator: I think you've nailed it. Each compartment functions like a memory, a fragment plucked from the stream of time and enshrined. And the circular motifs—the lenses, marbles, even some of the collage elements—often point towards notions of cycles, totality, and hidden knowledge. He's deliberately playing with surrealist aesthetics here, transforming ordinary things into poetic emblems. Editor: Yes, the transformation is magical. I feel like this is less about seeing an object, but rather embarking on a miniature intellectual treasure hunt… Cornell challenges the mundane world around us to become deeply meaningful—even fantastical! It evokes nostalgia for worlds unseen... Curator: And this convergence of maps, miniatures, and meticulously arranged objects within speaks volumes of the collector’s mind… someone who builds whole new realities from pieces of other ones. It feels like Cornell gives visual form to how humans constantly build stories from scraps and images. Editor: In truth, standing here reflecting on this work, makes one start imagining our own potential Cornel-esque-boxes! It certainly seems the first step would involve starting to catalogue one’s collections….or in reality: one’s fascinations. Curator: Indeed. It encourages one to embrace how ordinary objects are rich reservoirs of personal meaning and history.