Plate of Dolls c. 1936

Jane Iverson made "Plate of Dolls" with paint, and maybe some water, looking at how she's built up these figures. It's like she's thinking out loud with each brushstroke. There's a real sense of process here, not trying to be perfect, just exploring. The paint is applied in these juicy, visible strokes. You can almost feel the push and pull of the brush. I’m drawn to the dolls dressed in black with a red face. The red is so intense! It makes you wonder, what’s going on behind those masks? There’s something both playful and unsettling in how she’s captured these little figures. Iverson’s work reminds me a bit of Forrest Bess, in that she has a similar way of embracing strangeness and ambiguity. It’s not about answers, it’s about the questions.