Zoar Candlestick, Snuffer and Lantern c. 1938

Editor: So, this is Orville Cline’s "Zoar Candlestick, Snuffer and Lantern," circa 1938, rendered with watercolor and charcoal. There’s almost a clinical, catalog-like quality to the arrangement of these everyday objects. What stands out to you in this piece? Curator: The mundane nature of these items, presented with such deliberate attention, speaks volumes about the values of the Zoar community. They were a German Separatist group seeking religious freedom and self-sufficiency in America. It wasn’t simply about utility; these objects embody a lifestyle choice rooted in communal living and piety. Editor: That’s interesting, so you see the arrangement as a social commentary of some kind? Curator: Exactly! Consider the time period, right? The late 1930s – the Depression era, with its intense social inequalities. Cline's depiction can be seen as a quiet assertion of Zoar's alternative approach, a world apart from the rampant consumerism of mainstream society. These simple tools, elevated to art, become a political statement of sorts, highlighting self-reliance in contrast to a failing economic system. What does this evoke for you? Editor: The intimacy and functionality…perhaps it reflects on how necessary these items are? How these were viewed then versus now. It almost pushes you to think how simpler living equates to a closer connection to what matters in society. Curator: Precisely! Cline prompts a reevaluation of our own relationship with material goods and the values they represent. It's an intersection of art, history, and a gentle call to question our own societal structures. Editor: Thanks so much for that. I didn’t realize so much could be packed into this simple work! Curator: Absolutely! The political often hides in the everyday. I learned something today too!