Iron Holder c. 1938

Regina Henderer made this Iron Holder, using paints to conjure metal. Imagine her focused on this household object, teasing out its subtle colors and surprising geometry. I think about the shapes inside the holder, the way the light and air pass through it. Maybe she was thinking about the labor this object represented? About all the smoothing and pressing and making things neat. Or, was she just drawn to its form? I look at it and want to touch it, to feel the cool surface of the metal. The way she's rendered it—it's not just an iron holder, it's a study of shadows and light, a record of a moment in time. Maybe Henderer's work reminds us that everyday objects can become art. It's like she’s saying, "Hey, look closely, there's beauty everywhere."