Saw c. 1938

Edward Unger made this painting of a rusty old saw probably with watercolors or gouache on paper. I'm imagining him, holding his breath slightly, as he renders the object in front of him in a flat frontal view. The colors are muted, rusty browns, greys, and warm creams. It's got that feeling of someone who's maybe not "a trained artist" but who is deeply engaged with the process of seeing and describing. It makes me think of other self-taught painters, like Bill Traylor or even some of the early American folk artists. I like to think about all these artists as being in one big studio, all talking to each other across time, inspiring each other to find new ways to make images that hold meaning. This saw isn't just a saw; it's an idea about a saw, filtered through Unger's unique sensibility, and now, through ours.