Ox Collar 1938

This is Alexander Anderson's study of an Ox Collar. Looking at the ochres and browns, I think he made it with careful, observational intent. I sympathize with Anderson. To study something so simple, and yet so freighted with the history of labour, is a beautiful, melancholic act. You can see Anderson noticing the muted tones of this thing, the way the light gently falls on the curves, the textures of the aging leather and tarnished metal. It's all so humble. It's like he’s painting a portrait, but instead of a person, it's this thing that helped build the world. It's such a human thing to do, to want to capture it with such detail. It’s like, “Hey, ox collar, I see you. You matter.” And that's what makes it so touching, I think.