Pa. German Butter Mold c. 1938

This drawing, Pa. German Butter Mold, was made by Albert Levone sometime between 1855 and 1995. Look at the way the artist has created the effect of carved wood through these pencil lines. Imagine making this drawing, deciding which textures and patterns to include and how they are going to interact. The way the flower form almost touches the deer’s antlers makes me think about how the smallest details can change the whole image. Levone’s choice to make the deer’s fur as repeating horizontal lines and the surrounding fauna simple in form makes me want to see the original butter mold. What stories and food were connected to it? How many hands has it passed through, each time pressing butter into the mold? I’m constantly inspired by folk art and the idea that everything we make contains information and has a use, or many uses.