Doll - "Guenevere" c. 1938

Editor: This is Rex F. Bush's "Doll - 'Guenevere'," made around 1938, using watercolor and colored pencils. There's a simplicity to the portrait that's captivating. It almost feels like a page lifted from a children's book, slightly haunting, too. What do you see in this piece, beyond the obvious doll-like figure? Curator: Oh, I love that "haunting" touch! It speaks volumes about childhood's liminal space. You know, I look at this and immediately think of those handmade dolls, loved nearly to pieces. The stiff posture contrasts sharply with the idea of play, right? Does that formality say something about the expectations placed on children, even then? Editor: That's interesting! The stiffness does stand out. I was focused on the green dress and how it both pops and kind of blends into the background at the same time. It’s a little unsettling. Curator: Absolutely. Think about how colour operated in the late '30s, too. Green could represent growth, but also sickness or envy. Bush's choice is so interesting. The careful detail on the doll’s face and the patterned dress could speak to a world of imagination attempting to break through restrictions or find beauty within confinement. What a statement on being a young girl, maybe! Do you think Bush was successful? Editor: I do, actually. You've shifted my perspective, I was really only noticing the sort of sad aspect of it. But, now thinking about pushing through confinement, I see the possibility too. Curator: Art always throws you curves! We’re not just passively looking; it actively invites our projection. Today’s a good example of how different viewers highlight details to find something totally unique, wouldn’t you agree?