Shelf Clock 1936

Alvin Gully made this "Shelf Clock" with a clear love for detail, turning a functional object into a little world. The palette is very contained – browns, creams, and a pop of yellow – and that focus lets you really see the textures. Looking closer, you can see the wood grain effect Gully achieves with these thin washes of paint, especially around the clock face. Then down below, the delicate rendering of the birds and flowers, the clear, bright colours. Gully creates a kind of conversation between the real and the represented. It makes me think of Joseph Cornell and his shadow boxes, collecting small mementos of life and arranging them into something new. This piece is interesting because it celebrates the everyday and reminds us that art doesn't always need to shout to be heard. Sometimes, it whispers from the details.