Sacramental Chair c. 1939

Gordena Jackson made this watercolor drawing, "Sacramental Chair," sometime in the twentieth century. There’s a subtle kind of magic at play in the way Jackson applies these washes. The piece seems to hover on the page. It suggests a chair but resists it too, becoming something more spectral and evocative. I’m drawn to the way Jackson renders the chair's upholstery. The deep reddish-brown, almost velvety in appearance, is achieved with such delicate layering. Notice how the light catches the edges, suggesting depth and texture without ever becoming overly realistic. The color is built from translucent layers, allowing the white of the page to peek through and vibrate. It’s like Jackson is building something intangible out of tangible materials. There's a quiet reverence in Jackson's mark-making. It reminds me a bit of Agnes Martin's work. Both artists seem to be searching for a kind of transcendence through simplicity and repetition. It's a reminder that art is often more about the questions we ask than the answers we find.