Wooden Cabinet Doors c. 1939

Rose Campbell-Gerke made this drawing of wooden cabinet doors, and looking at the peeling paint makes me think about time, how things age and change, and how we look at things that are old. I’m thinking about Rose and what it was like for her, sitting with the doors, carefully capturing the texture and color. The way the white paint is peeling off to reveal the wood beneath, it's like a metaphor, don't you think? For layers of history, stories that are hidden and then revealed? It reminds me of Agnes Martin's delicate lines or maybe even some Giorgio Morandi still life: such different artists, yet all interested in the quiet beauty of everyday objects. The artist's hand is so present. Each line, each shade of grey and white, shows intention, like she is whispering to us, inviting us to pause and really look. This piece connects to a long tradition of artists studying, depicting, and reimagining existing artworks. It’s this kind of conversation that keeps art alive, generation after generation.