Sewing Holder c. 1939

This "Sewing Holder" was painted by Ernest A. Towers Jr, and it feels like looking at a simple object with loving attention. The warm browns of the wood are laid down in transparent washes, letting the light paper shine through. See how the layers build up the form of the sewing holder, that little sculpture of utility? It's like Towers is savoring the process of seeing, of understanding how light falls. There’s a stillness in this image, almost like a memory. The top section, with its delicate little blue-grey pad, is particularly lovely; the colour is almost like a thought, just barely there. You can see the care the artist took, the way he wanted to understand this humble thing. It reminds me of Giorgio Morandi, who spent his life painting bottles. Both make work that shows us there’s something beautiful and profound in the everyday if you just slow down and look.