Cigar Store Figure c. 1937

Walter Hochstrasser made this piece called, "Cigar Store Figure," using what looks like watercolor or gouache on paper. What strikes me is the precision of the rendering, yet there's a playfulness too. Look at how the red of the pants graduates in tone, suggesting a rounded form. Notice how the gold trim on the jacket catches the light. It's as if Hochstrasser is describing not just the figure, but the way light interacts with it. The paint is applied in thin washes, allowing the paper to breathe and give the image a luminous quality. But it's the mustache that really gets me, like a proud exclamation point on the face. Hochstrasser seems to have had a sense of humor, a twinkle in his eye. And maybe, just maybe, he was winking at the viewer. The piece reminds me of work by Red Grooms, with its colorful, cartoonish sensibility. Art is always talking to itself and creating ongoing conversations across time.