Bishop Hill: Woodturning Lathe 1939

H. Langden Brown made this watercolour of a woodturning lathe. It's a real celebration of process, right? I love the way the wood grain is depicted. See how Brown lets the natural texture inform the image? The colour is subtle – it’s all warm browns and creams. It has the feeling of folk art. It invites me to think about the physicality of the wood, the turning of the wheel, the way something functional can also be beautiful. Look closely at where the main support beam connects to the wheel, there’s a lovely shadow that runs up the main support, grounding it. The image reminds me of Charles Sheeler’s industrial scenes. But where Sheeler is precise, Brown is softer. The lathe is solid and dependable, ready to turn raw material into something new. This is how art should be, too: a conversation, a transformation, always turning.