Rush Holder c. 1939

John Petrucci made this rush holder sometime between 1855 and 1995 with what looks like watercolor. He's so restrained with his palette, sticking to browns and greys, and I like the way he’s let the paper breathe. It's all about capturing a feeling, and a process. Look at the way the paint is applied. It's thin, almost transparent in places, letting the paper's texture peek through. The three little legs which come down and out, away from the main structure, have these funny curves. It feels like he's captured something essential about the object, not just its appearance but its spirit. This piece reminds me a little of Giorgio Morandi's still lifes, in the way he manages to find poetry in the everyday. It’s about embracing ambiguity, suggesting rather than insisting, leaving space for our own interpretations.