Branding Iron c. 1942

Elizabeth Johnson created this drawing of a "Branding Iron" using watercolor and graphite, rendering a common ranch tool with careful attention to form and texture. The composition is structured around the stark contrast between the metal object and the flat, neutral background. The branding iron, depicted in detailed perspective, is composed of a circular and angular form. It projects a sense of weight and three-dimensionality. Beside it, the letters "O" and "R" are outlined in a similar earthy tone, yet they remain flat, almost like a stencil. The choice of representing the branding iron, an object of control and ownership, in such a detached, formal manner invites us to consider the semiotics of the American West. Johnson’s close study and depiction of the tool’s materiality raises questions about power, identity, and representation in a changing cultural landscape. How does the form of the tool dictate its function?