Circus Wagon Figure 1938

Lawrence Flynn made this drawing of a Circus Wagon Figure on paper, and what strikes me about it is how it captures a sort of behind-the-scenes moment. The figure is rendered in these muted, earthy tones, almost like she's been weathered by the road. There's a beautiful softness in the way Flynn uses light and shadow to define her form. I imagine him studying this figure, maybe in a dusty workshop, trying to understand how the light hits the curves of the wood. What was he thinking? Was he thinking about how he might capture the essence of her strength, her stillness, amidst the chaos of the circus? The lines are definite but soft, as if he wants to get to know her—her weight on one foot, her arm reaching towards a ball in the air. It’s such a simple gesture, but it speaks volumes about balance, about the precariousness of life, and about the artist’s ongoing dialogue with form and representation, echoing the work of folk artists and sculptors who sought to capture the essence of human experience through carving and drawing.