Cigar Store Figure 1935 - 1942

This watercolour painting shows a Cigar Store Figure, and was made by an anonymous artist. What grabs me right away is the way the artist uses watercolour to make the woman’s dress look almost like glazed ceramic. The blue paint pools and gathers, giving it a weight that seems to defy the medium. I find myself wondering about the artist, trying to imagine their process, their decisions. Did they struggle with the physics of representing a heavy fabric with such a delicate medium? It’s in these areas of tension, where the artist seems to be wrestling with the limitations of their materials, that the real magic happens. This tension is further highlighted by the wheels at the bottom of the 'sculpture' - a clash between what the figure represents and the surface she stands on. The artist’s hand is present in every brushstroke, every carefully chosen colour. This piece makes me think of Red Grooms, another artist who celebrates the handmade, creating works that are both playful and profound. Art’s a conversation across time.