Figurehead for Ship "Marcia Allen" c. 1938

Molly Bodenstein made this ‘Figurehead for Ship "Marcia Allen"’ on paper, and what strikes me is the tender, almost hesitant way the colors are laid down; it's like watching a feeling slowly come into focus. The flatness of the rendering gives it this wonderful sense of being both present and distant, like a memory trying to surface. The rendering of the figure’s hair is really interesting, it is both flowing and solid, like a stone sculpture. I love how this echoes the stone-like carving of the figurehead it depicts. It's not about perfection but about feeling and about being resourceful, like making art on the open sea. It reminds me a little of Florine Stettheimer's playful portraits, both artists embracing the slightly awkward and utterly charming. Art's not about answers, it's about keeping the conversation afloat, like a good ship figurehead.