Pottery Bank c. 1939

Lee Brown's "Pottery Bank," rendered in watercolor, presents us with a study in simplicity and form. The bank, a stout cylinder capped with a dome, dominates the composition. Brown's focus is on the object’s structure and materiality. The muted, earthy tones and subtle gradations create a sense of depth and volume, while the smooth surface contrasts with the rough texture implied by the medium. This interplay of textures engages with our understanding of form, not just as shape, but as substance. The lack of extraneous detail emphasizes the bank's basic function: a container, a repository. This resonates with structuralist ideas about the underlying systems that govern meaning. The bank signifies not just savings, but the very idea of containment and accumulation. Brown's composition draws attention to how we perceive the inherent properties of everyday objects.