Pie Plate c. 1938

Carl Buergerniss made this study of a 'Pie Plate' at an unknown date with watercolor. There's something wonderfully earthy about this image. Buergerniss hasn't tried to dazzle us with technical wizardry. Instead, it's like he's kneaded the paint onto the paper, building up the color in layers, a bit like the way a potter builds a vessel. I love how the colors are so muted, so natural. This is the color of clay, of earth, and of ancient things. Look at the way he's rendered the zigzag pattern. It's not precise or perfect; each line seems to have its own little wobble. It reminds me that art isn't about getting things exactly right; it's about capturing a feeling, a sense of the handmade. The whole piece speaks of a slower, more deliberate time. Buergerniss reminds me of Agnes Martin, in his dedication to the simple, unadorned beauty of everyday objects. Like Martin, he finds something profound in the mundane.