Pa. German Weather Vane 1935 - 1942

Elmer Kottcamp made this watercolor and graphite drawing of a Pennsylvania German Weather Vane. It’s all about the way the wash of color pools and settles. Look at how the graphite adds this subtle texture, it’s a super simple palette, almost monochromatic. The material of the paper is really allowed to sing, there’s something very direct about the way he’s chosen to represent this object, almost like a technical drawing. Look at the left arm, so flat, and so different from the head, where he allows himself a little more modeling with the shading. The way the wood grain of the paddles is evoked is charming. There's a real tension between flat design and illusionistic depth here. This piece reminds me a little of Charles Sheeler, in its clean, almost classical lines. Ultimately both artists seem interested in distilling a cultural object to its truest form.