Weather Vane c. 1938

Frank Gray made this ‘Weather Vane’ sometime in the mid twentieth century, using watercolour and graphite. The colour palette has a metallic feel, like a faded copper sculpture. You can see Gray’s process at work in his approach to mark making. The surface has these streaks and splatters, which lend the image a sense of decay, as if the artwork itself has been exposed to the elements. These colours and marks aren’t about concealing the process, but revealing it. It reminds me of the work of Marsden Hartley, who explored themes of American identity and folk art traditions, as does Gray here. The dark patch on the horse’s body looks like an erasure, or a pentimento, as if Gray changed his mind during the painting process and embraced this ambiguity. It’s a reminder that art doesn't need to offer fixed meanings to be resonant.