Bible Box c. 1936

Editor: This drawing depicts a “Bible Box” from around 1936 by Bernard Gussow, using watercolor and other drawing media on wood. I’m immediately drawn to the contrast between the smooth, solid box lid and the more decorative, carved sides. What stands out to you in terms of the artist’s formal choices? Curator: I'm interested in how Gussow treats the surface. Notice how the wood grain is rendered. The linearity and implied texture, achieved through the layering of watercolor, give a tactile quality, wouldn't you agree? Also, the almost naive representation of depth—look at the converging lines and shading on the sides. Editor: Yes, there’s something deliberate in that simplicity. And the carvings, they look like stylized floral patterns combined with those 'IBH' initials... what do you think they signify formally in the work? Curator: The linear quality of the carving, rendered through simple lines, mirrors the linear application of the watercolor. The floral motifs break up the strong, horizontal geometry, and act in counterpoint to the initials. The box itself functions almost as a canvas for a play of lines and shapes. Note the artist is not attempting realism, but uses this exercise in representing folk art as a series of formal explorations. Editor: So, by focusing on line, shape, texture and composition, we see this work less as a depiction of an object and more as a self-contained formal experiment. Curator: Precisely. It's a visual study, if you will. An orchestration of artistic choices that transcends the subject itself. Editor: That really changes my perspective on the piece. I was so caught up in wondering about the box itself. Thanks for that insightful reading! Curator: It's a pleasure to look closely. Each work invites its own unique examination of forms.