Spur c. 1940

Hal Blakeley’s “Spur” is an image made on paper in watercolor, and it seems to dance between representation and something more abstract. There’s something about the way the colors are laid down here, in washes of brown and grey, that feels so delicate, almost like a memory fading at the edges. The original is small, almost like a jewell, which means it was likely painted with tiny brushes and lots of patience. I think this work really shines in the way it captures the texture of the metal—how the light catches on the spurs jagged wheel, a sort of a metallic halo. It’s as if Blakeley wasn’t just interested in depicting an object, but in evoking a feeling, a sense of history, or even just the pleasure of looking closely at something well-made. It brings to mind the work of Charles Demuth, who also had a way of finding the extraordinary in the everyday. Like Demuth, Blakeley seems to suggest there’s beauty and meaning to be found in the world if you just slow down and really look.