Spur c. 1936

Gerald Transpota made this watercolour on paper, Spur, sometime between 1855 and 1995. Transpota lays down the hues in thin washes, a process of layering and building up the image gradually. The colour palette is earthy and muted, dominated by browns and greys. Look closely, and you will see how the colour and texture of the leather strap contrasts with the metallic sheen of the spur itself. The circular form of the spur is echoed in the rivets and in the toothed wheel, creating a satisfying visual rhythm. And the neutral background throws the object into stark relief. I keep thinking about the small dashes of paint around the toothed wheel. Transpota has captured light hitting metal. It reminds me of Giorgio Morandi and his still life paintings of bottles, although Morandi's objects are often softened and abstracted, whereas this is more precise. It is a beautiful and intriguing thing, this spur.