Lady's Cap c. 1937

Edna Rex made this Lady's Cap using watercolour, and, seeing as it's a Federal Art Project, probably in the 1930's. It’s all about layering washes and letting the pigment do its thing. The painting has this ghostly quality, because the fabric of the cap is both there and not there, you know? It's like Rex is showing us the idea of a cap, more than the actual object. The colours are so muted and soft, like faded memories. Look at the detail of the lace edges and the tiny blue flowers, it's so delicate. But then the brushstrokes are loose and free, giving the painting this raw, unfinished vibe. It reminds me a little of Fairfield Porter, that same love of the everyday, but with a twist. Like, what is more feminine than this antiquated headwear? But then it's filtered through this modern sensibility of mark-making as meaning-making, turning it into something else entirely. This work shows the beauty of the everyday, and also reminds us that art is a conversation.