Churn 1935 - 1942

Mary Berner’s "Churn" is a drawing on paper of a butter churn—what a great subject! I am imagining the intimacy between the artist, the churn and the coloured pencil that she used to record it. The creamy palette of browns, beiges and blues are quite humble, much like the subject matter itself. But what it lacks in drama, it makes up for in attentiveness. It speaks of close looking and long hours in the studio. You can see the artist has tried to capture every angle. She has outlined the object and its shadow and has paid close attention to the details of the flower. Thinking about what other artists were doing at that time, I wonder if Berner saw herself as part of a wider artistic conversation. Art inspires art! Each brushstroke, each line, each composition builds on what has come before, leading us in unexpected directions.