Fence Panel 1938

Editor: Here we have J. Howard Iams' "Fence Panel" from 1938, rendered in pencil and watercolor. It looks quite formal. I'm curious – what can you tell me about this design from a different perspective? Curator: What immediately strikes me is the contrast between the planned design and its potential use in the construction and demarcation of space. How does this elevation relate to the production, literally the foundry-work, of the object, and its subsequent role as a status marker? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't considered the labour that goes into making something like that. The leaves and grapes motifs now seem more about craftsmanship and industry than natural beauty. Curator: Exactly. The fence, as a barrier, speaks to property and exclusion. Who is meant to see this from the outside? Consider the accessibility of materials like iron and the cost associated with ornamentation during the Depression. Editor: So the value lies not just in the artistic merit, but in its function as a tool of social stratification. Were these types of fence panels common at the time? Curator: Wrought iron was prevalent but the scale of ornamentation signifies a clear aspiration. Were there cheaper, less adorned alternatives and what kind of social realities underpinned this aesthetic decision? How does the artist amplify or downplay the object’s socioeconomic dimensions? Editor: That shifts my view completely! I now see the panel as a kind of historical document about consumption, more than just an attractive design. Curator: Precisely. By understanding the material context, we begin to question not only aesthetic intention but social forces shaping even a simple fence. Editor: It gives me a better framework to interpret design choices!