Bowl c. 1936

John Cutting's "Bowl" is an image of an object, carefully rendered in watercolor on paper. Imagine Cutting, focused intently, trying to capture every detail of this bowl. I wonder if he felt a sense of intimacy with the object? The way the blue intertwines, creating a delicate dance of light and shadow, and how the rim of the bowl almost fades into the white of the paper, suggesting a sense of continuity, a kind of endlessness... The repair on the bowl - depicted meticulously - adds another layer, a story of its past, its history, like a scar on skin. These imperfections are so interesting; Cutting seems to embrace them, immortalizing them in paint, and they bring the picture to life. They echo the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, appreciating the beauty in imperfection, and resonate across time, connecting Cutting with the wider history of painting itself.