Cigar Store Indian 1935 - 1942

Editor: This is Rosamond P. Gray’s "Cigar Store Indian," created between 1935 and 1942. It’s a striking figural piece combining painting, watercolor, and what seems to be a sculpture. What jumps out at me is the texture rendered in watercolor and its rather muted, yet vivid palette. How do you approach this piece? Curator: Formally, the work intrigues through its manipulation of line and colour to evoke the sculptural object. Notice how Gray employs light and shadow not to mimic reality but to articulate form. The application of watercolour grants a certain fluidity, contrasting with the rigid geometry suggested by the figure's stance. Editor: So, you're saying that even though it depicts a sculpture, it’s not really trying to be photorealistic. Curator: Precisely. Gray uses the medium to draw attention to the artifice of representation itself. Observe how the interplay of complementary colours—reds and greens— creates a visual tension, a dialogue between warmth and coolness, further pushing the boundaries of perception. How does that color relationship strike you? Editor: I see what you mean about the red and green creating tension. It almost feels a little unsettling given the subject matter. The modeling on the face with the same coloring also contributes. Curator: Consider then how the lines defining the figure are crisp in places, almost blurred in others, demanding we confront not only the subject represented, but also the act of representation. In essence, Gray asks: what is being seen and how? Editor: It’s like the painting is not just *of* something, but *about* seeing itself! I will think of this now when I examine new pieces. Curator: A valuable exercise in looking and thinking; remember, art often engages us to look more closely.