Joseph Cornell (American, 1903-1972) Soap Bubble Set (Ostend Hotel), ca. 1958 Construction and collage, 8 x 16 1/2 x 3 3/8" Edmund Hayes Fund, 1971 © The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation / Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

Using objects collected from many different contexts, especially the antiquarian bookstores and shops of New York City, Joseph Cornell created unique assemblages that intrigue viewers with their elegance, enigma, and intimacy. The small size of his boxes forces viewers to look closely, and in doing so discover that within these small spaces, entire worlds have been created--worlds full of mystery that invite us to use our imagination.

Although the associations between the objects cannot easily be put into words, the mood of many of Cornell’s boxes, including Soap Bubble Set (Ostend Hotel), is one of nostalgia. A common theme to all of his work is regret about the passing of time and the inability to prevent it. Many of the objects inside the box reflect signs of age and decay: for example, the goblet and the clay pipe are broken, the paint is cracked and peeling, and small nails protrude in many areas. The paper on the outside is yellowed, reflecting Cornell’s concern that even the written word cannot survive the passage of time and successfully preserve the past. The fragment of an advertisement for the Ostend Hotel is in tatters, and the whole combination of objects seems to imply that perhaps the hotel is in a similar state. In contrast to these references to age, however, the careful way in which the items were arranged and placed behind glass creates a sense of permanence and stability, almost as if the artist were trying to freeze the objects in time.

Cornell was obsessed with the past. The Victorian era in the middle and third quarter of the nineteenth century, with its cluttered rooms filled with bric-a-brac covering all available open space, was one of his favorite periods. He especially liked the toys and games that filled Victorian parlors. One of these entertainment pieces was a soap bubble set, which could be what the title of this work references. The artist was insatiably curious, avidly observing everyone and everything around him. Notes on what he had seen were written on any available piece of paper, napkin, or record jacket. Assemblage boxes were kept in every room of his house, most of which were in the process of development. The variety of items he collected to include in his boxes was endless. In spite of the fact that he never threw anything away, however, his world was very organized, and this organization is reflected in the boxes. Converting to Christian Science in 1925, he firmly believed in Mary Baker Eddy's teachings about mind over matter and harmony over disharmony.

Cornell’s diaries, along with his boxes, were created to capture his feelings, momentary thoughts, and uncertainties about life. One of the most intriguing qualities of the boxes is that they draw viewers in and lead us to give in to our imagination as we try to discover the secrets of Joseph Cornell’s interior world.

— Mariann Smith

SUGGESTIONS FOR HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AND DISCUSSION

• For a Cornell-inspired, individual project, each child can collect a bunch of objects or images and text and arrange them inside an open, relatively shallow box. The piece can be painted. Try to have at least one moving part.
• Have each child write a title for his or her box.
• Have the children write stories for their boxes, or use the following game to write a poem about them: have students cut words out of texts such as magazines, newspapers, etc., looking for nouns and verbs. Place them into a large basket. Tell each child to pick fifteen words, compose a poem out of them, and paste it on paper. No fair writing in other words! Try to concentrate on the sound of the words in a row, and don’t worry if they don’t make "sense!" Share the poems with the class.