Corner Shelf c. 1930

Editor: This is Katharine Schlater’s "Corner Shelf," a pencil drawing dating from around 1930. It shows a flower arrangement in a pot sitting on, well, a corner shelf. I’m immediately struck by the almost geometric quality of the flowers. They're so stylized. What historical context do you see informing this work? Curator: It’s interesting you noticed the geometry. Thinking about the social climate of the 1930s, we see a world gripped by the Great Depression. Realism, particularly American Scene painting, was ascendant, but there were also modernist explorations happening in more intimate settings. "Corner Shelf", though seemingly a simple still life, could be seen as a quiet commentary. The precision of the drawing and the stylized flowers—do they remind you of anything? Editor: I guess I see a slight resemblance to Art Deco motifs in the flower petals? It feels much more controlled than a naturalistic depiction would. Curator: Exactly! The institutional forces, like the prevalence of Beaux-Arts training earlier in the century, shaped the artists’ skill set, even if they diverged from traditional subject matter later. What purpose might it serve for Schlater to elevate and control everyday floral arrangements during the depression? Editor: Perhaps offering a vision of order and beauty amidst economic chaos, a sort of quiet rebellion through refined artistry? Or even the opposite, suggesting that something as delicate and fleeting as a flower still thrives under oppressive conditions. Curator: Precisely. It demonstrates how seemingly straightforward images participate in, and even subtly subvert, prevailing social narratives and aesthetics. Editor: I hadn't considered how social anxieties could manifest in such a still, almost muted work. This has really broadened my perception of art’s role in that era. Curator: And, likewise, your observations encourage us to look closely at the artist's place within these systems! It makes a piece like "Corner Shelf" so much richer.