Doll c. 1939

This wooden doll, carved by John Sullivan, strikes me as something so pure, so direct. I imagine Sullivan handling a piece of wood, maybe basswood, its softness welcoming his tools. Each carve and curve, a conversation between him and the material. Did he find this act meditative? I wonder if he worked intuitively, or did he have a drawing? The doll’s form is basic but tender. Her simple dress and sturdy boots speak of practicality, of an everyday life lived with a quiet strength. Her little hands! I imagine he laboured over those, wanting them to communicate something, some essence of being human. Sullivan’s doll feels related to folk art traditions where objects are imbued with spirit and memory. The way she stands so solid, so present, I feel her inviting me to consider what is really necessary, what makes us who we are. Art-making is a process of continual exchange, where artists like Sullivan inspire and influence across time, it is a form of embodied expression that embraces ambiguity. What do you make of her?