Shelf Clock 1936

Alvin Gully made this painting of a shelf clock in 1936. What I love about this piece is how it captures an object of time, like a clock, in a moment of time, a painting. The brushstrokes are careful, precise, and yet also full of life, rendering this ornate object with real care. You can almost feel Gully's patience as he painted each detail of the woodwork, the clock face, and that sweet little bird painting. I find myself wondering what he was thinking about as he worked. Was he thinking about how the clock would outlive him? I love that it is painted, not photographed. This act, the act of making, reminds me that artists are always in conversation with each other across time, inspiring creativity, always looking and learning from each other. Ultimately, painting is a form of embodied expression, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty and allowing for multiple readings.