Iron Cross c. 1938

H. Langden Brown, who lived a pretty long life, it must be said, made this image of an Iron Cross, though we don't know when or where. I'm imagining the artist's hand carefully layering the brown washes, trying to get the rust effect just right. You know, that dance of control and chance that happens when you're painting. I wonder what Brown was thinking about when he put down those marks? It's interesting how such a simple form can hold so much meaning and history. I mean, a cross is just two lines, right? But then you add that circle around the middle and suddenly it's something else. It reminds me of Eva Hesse's sculptures, how she took basic shapes and turned them into these really powerful objects. Artists are always riffing off each other like that, it is all part of one big conversation, across time.