Suffolk Latch c. 1939

Regina Henderer made this watercolor of a ‘Suffolk Latch’ on paper, and look at how she embraces the stains, discolorations, and textures of the metal. It's as if Henderer is saying, "Hey, beauty isn't just about smooth surfaces." There's a real intimacy in how Henderer renders the latch. She’s showing us all the little pits and rust spots, and there’s something so tender about that. It is like she is saying that the wear and tear of daily life is what makes things beautiful. Take the lower heart shape, for instance; it's not perfectly symmetrical or smooth, but it's got this rough-around-the-edges charm that makes you wanna reach out and touch it. It's kind of like what Agnes Martin did with her grids, finding the sublime in the imperfect. Henderer reminds us that art can be found in the most unexpected places, even in the humble hardware that holds our lives together.