"Baby" Hand Puppet c. 1936

Elmer Weise made this drawing of a "Baby" Hand Puppet, we don’t know when or where, and it’s all about the suggestive power of process. The colors are muted, almost faded, but the puppet’s red lips and feet pop. Look at the way the fabric of the puppet’s body is rendered, with soft, smudgy strokes that create volume. It’s like Weise is thinking out loud, figuring out the form as he goes. The lines aren’t precise; they waver and blend, leaving room for interpretation. There’s a vulnerability in the way the puppet is depicted, with its slightly awkward pose and cartoonish features. It reminds me of Red Grooms, who also created art with a raw, handmade quality. Like Grooms, Weise reminds us that art doesn’t need to be slick or polished to be powerful, embracing ambiguity and multiple interpretations.