Dreestrekker. 1950

This wooden ‘Dreestrekker’ sculpture was made by an anonymous artist, at an unknown time. It’s amazing how this piece captures a sense of character and presence using such simple means. The material is so present here. The vertical grooves left by the carving tool give a kind of graphic structure to the figure, like a diagram. It’s so clearly made by hand, direct. The lines of the wood grain itself become like another layer of mark-making. You can see it most clearly on his feet, those clogs, where the horizontal lines of the grain are in sharp contrast to the vertical carving marks. The whole piece feels like an exercise in reduction, getting the most information across with the least amount of fuss. Maybe that’s why I find it so affecting. Think of other artists like the American folk artist, Bill Traylor. Like Traylor, the ‘Dreestrekker’ reminds us that art is less about perfection, and more about feeling and expression.