-Elf House- (vending) mechanical bank c. 1945

This Elf House mechanical bank, made of painted tin by an anonymous maker, it’s like a little portal into a world of playful thrift. The colors are bright and cheerful, but the way they're applied is wonderfully slapdash; the charm here lies in the making. The surface has this mottled texture, like the artist was experimenting with different ways to apply the paint – maybe sponging, maybe stippling? It gives the whole thing a dreamlike quality. And that elf! Look at the way he’s holding those precariously stacked presents; each line seems a bit wobbly, like it was made in a hurry, which gives it a real sense of immediacy. It reminds me a bit of Red Grooms, actually, someone else who's not afraid to embrace the goofy and imperfect. Art is a conversation, right? Each artist building on what came before, always open to new interpretations and possibilities.