Bag c. 1941

Curator: This is "Bag," a watercolor and drawing by John Thorsen, circa 1941. What's your initial take on it? Editor: It's charming, really. Such delicate rendering, and the beading on that bag has a real dimensionality to it. Almost like you could reach out and touch the individual beads. Curator: The piece reflects a growing interest in indigenous art during that period, especially how such artifacts found their way into museum collections and anthropological studies. Think about the politics of representation involved. Editor: And the labour! Imagine the hours, perhaps weeks, it took to create such an intricate design on a functional object like this. You can tell someone put all their care in its production and creation. It’s a beautiful object that goes beyond just utility. Curator: Exactly. We need to also consider what kind of cultural narratives the bag might hold as it shifts through spaces, and as such is rendered by different artistic traditions, moving between community, individual hands, and display spaces. Editor: It’s interesting to think about it existing in both spaces. I also think about its visual impact at a distance, how this bag might've made the wearer stand out. Those bright colors are really striking. Curator: Do you feel that those specific patterns held specific social or cultural meanings? Are the floral patterns used here connected to distinct traditions? Or has it all been diluted when put into a still image by an artist like Thorsen? Editor: Without the cultural context, which, I’m sure we could research, the imagery feels almost abstracted, appreciated mostly for its formal qualities in terms of line, color, and texture. Curator: And how institutions classify the "art" of another group is so often framed around a need to control narratives, creating a filtered or limited representation. Editor: The context changes everything, doesn’t it? To really see it, we must unpack the baggage it carries with it, as it moves around in cultural relevance through time. Curator: Absolutely. So much to consider here beyond the sheer aesthetic appeal. Editor: Agreed. It is so pretty but such deep subject matter. I'll carry that forward!