Blanket Chest c. 1936

Editor: We're looking at Lawrence Flynn's "Blanket Chest" from around 1936, rendered in drawing and wood—though the drawing is watercolor. It's such an intricate design, but there is something simple and sturdy about its form. What kind of imagery jumps out at you here? Curator: Immediately, I'm struck by the repetitive use of botanical motifs – the leaves and flowers – alongside geometric shapes. Think of these motifs not just as decoration but as symbolic language. The leaf, a universal symbol for growth, rebirth, perhaps a wish for the contents within? What would be stored in it, do you think? Editor: Probably blankets, hence the name! But maybe family heirlooms or precious keepsakes too? Curator: Precisely. These objects, imbued with personal or familial meaning, connect to the broader cultural memory. And note how those floral motifs are stylized, almost heraldic. They could be subtle markers of identity, values even lineage, deliberately referencing an imagined past, through a modern, or 'academic' lens. Does this give you pause, thinking about art produced during this period? Editor: It does. Considering the time period, this almost feels like a romanticized view of craftsmanship, removed from the realities of the Depression. But then the style itself hints at something older? Curator: Indeed! This piece serves as a looking glass into cultural aspirations. The chest becomes a vessel not just for belongings but for cultural ideals. And, considering Flynn’s choice of rendering it via drawing – a preparatory design of sorts – it becomes meta-commentary on artmaking, a potent symbol! Editor: I see what you mean. So, in its design, the Blanket Chest isn't just a functional object, but a potent statement on how we carry cultural memory. Thanks, that helps a lot! Curator: My pleasure. The emotional weight and symbolic function of objects are always worth further explorations.