Cigar Store Indian c. 1937

Walter Hochstrasser made this 'Cigar Store Indian' with watercolor and graphite on paper. What strikes me first is the way Hochstrasser models the figure. There's a real sense of depth and volume, like the figure could step right off the page. You can see the hand of the artist in the rendering of the wood grain effect, suggesting the feel of a hand-carved wooden sculpture. It is a carefully rendered image, yet if you look closely, you'll notice the textures are built up with tiny, delicate strokes. These marks create this layered effect, and I think it gives the surface a subtle shimmer. The artist has clearly taken his time, adding thin washes of color to build up the tones and shadows, and I really appreciate the rich, warm palette with earth tones punctuated by the reds, greens, and yellows of the headdress. I love how the artist has embraced the ambiguity of representation here. It reminds me a little of the work of Joseph Cornell, someone else with a real eye for the poetry of everyday objects. Art is always in conversation with itself, and it's this kind of playful exchange that makes it so endlessly fascinating.