Flask c. 1941

This is V.L. Vance's painting, Flask. It's made with watercolor, a medium that can be tricky because it’s so fluid and washy. Looking at the image, I imagine the artist layering the washes of blue, letting them bloom and blend on the page. What was Vance thinking about, trying to capture that particular transparency and form? There is an interesting spiralling texture going on, and it's very suggestive. The artist is trying to capture something that is also in flux. Think about other artists like Morandi, who spent a lifetime painting bottles, each work a meditation on light, shadow, and form. Artists build on each other, don’t they? Like one long, never-ending conversation.