Trivet c. 1942

Violet Hartenstein made this painting of a trivet, we don't know exactly when, and it’s interesting because it’s an image of an object. Imagine Hartenstein, deeply involved in the act of painting; her focus dedicated to this everyday object. Maybe she liked the light on it? Or the relationship between the different materials? I think she saw something special in it. It’s got this gray, metallic horseshoe shape that is juxtaposed against a smooth, wooden handle. There’s something so tender about her interest in representing this humble trivet. Perhaps she felt a kinship with the object itself, a silent witness to daily life. Artists are always in an ongoing conversation, aren’t they? We look at each other’s work, and we find inspiration, and we keep the dialogue moving. Painting can be like that - an embodied expression, where ambiguity and uncertainty are welcomed, allowing for endless ways to interpret and find meaning.