Pierced Metal Screen Inside Confessional c. 1936

Geoffrey Holt made this small watercolour and pencil drawing of a pierced metal screen, probably sometime in the mid twentieth century. The way he's worked is so interesting; it’s not just a flat depiction but something more alive. He’s really thought about the process of making a screen like this, the actual piercing of the metal. The colours are earthy, browns and creams, which give a sense of the material's own texture. The dots of the screen are so considered; notice how they vary in tone and even shape. It's not just a mechanical reproduction; he's captured the unevenness, the hand of the maker. There's a real tension between flatness and depth, maybe reflecting the tension of confessing. Holt reminds me of Forrest Bess, who sought spiritual experiences through art. This drawing is more than just an object; it's a meditation on faith, craft, and the act of seeing. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t need to be loud to be profound; sometimes the quietest voices speak the loudest.