Key Basket c. 1941

Renee Monfalcone’s “Key Basket” is a watercolour that turns an everyday object into something worth a second look. It’s all about the details here. The way Monfalcone uses thin washes of colour allows the paper's surface to play its part. The basket itself, in shades of red and brown, looks well-worn. And, there’s a playful quality to the lines that snake around the basket’s exterior. They’re not perfectly symmetrical, but they are drawn with a confidence that suggests the artist enjoyed the process. The star-like motifs could be an attempt at decoration, or an observation of a pre-existing design. The contrast between the dark exterior and the bright red interior gives the piece a surprising vibrancy. This work reminds me of Joseph Yoakum's landscapes, in the way it transforms the ordinary into a personal vision. Art’s like that, isn’t it? Turning what we see into what we feel and imagine.