Young boy 1957

George Pemba painted this image of a young boy with watercolors in 1957. I love seeing the artist’s process left on the surface – look at how the paint drips into the background! You can see how Pemba worked, the order in which he laid down the washes of color. There’s a real materiality to watercolors, which can often be overlooked. I find myself drawn to the boy’s face. See how the paint is built up to describe the shadows and contours? Pemba coaxes a sculptural form out of a medium that is traditionally very flat. Notice the boy's hands, they are clasped in a way that makes you want to know his story. This piece reminds me of Alice Neel, who also approached painting with a very similar sensitivity to the human condition. Art is ultimately about looking and feeling, about being present in the moment, and about trying to capture something that is always just beyond our grasp.