Ring Bit c. 1938

Editor: Here we have Gordena Jackson's "Ring Bit," a drawing of a metal object dating to around 1938. It's a very clean, almost clinical depiction. There's something about its simple composition that feels almost unnerving. What do you see in this piece, Professor? Curator: You know, when I look at this "Ring Bit", I'm reminded of how something so functional can also possess an unsettling beauty, wouldn’t you agree? Gordena Jackson has elevated the mundane, taking a common tool, used to control a horse, and transforming it into something strangely…human-like. Do you see the face in it? Editor: Oh, now that you mention it, I do! The upper part forms the eyes and brow, and the ring at the bottom suggests a mouth. It wasn’t obvious at first. Curator: Exactly! I think she saw the spirit of the horse in this object, the connection between rider and animal. The bit itself becomes a kind of mask or totem. And those details, the way she’s rendered the texture of the metal… I can almost feel its weight, its age. Does it change your reading of the drawing knowing it was made in the late 1930s? Editor: Definitely. Knowing it was made during the Depression era, I see a sort of stoicism in it. Functional, beautiful, yet maybe also hinting at the hard work and close relationship between humans and animals. Curator: Beautifully put. For me, that realism makes it haunting, poetic even, like a portrait of an unseen relationship. And that relationship speaks volumes to me. I learn from art that sees beyond surfaces and objects, capturing feeling. Editor: This has given me an entirely different way to consider realism in art, not just as a depiction of things but also as a way to highlight something intangible.