Bag c. 1936

Roberta Elvis made this Bag with what looks like watercolor, maybe ink, and possibly graphite on paper. When I look at it, I think about how much intention and care went into the details, even down to the individual beads. I'm thinking of how, bead by bead, line by line, the image began to exist. You can see it in the way the different colors come together. Look at the soft, blurry edges, and how some of the graphite lines are left exposed, giving the whole thing an unfinished, alive feeling. You can see Roberta's hand moving across the paper, trying to capture every detail. The colors create such a unique mood, like she's remembering the bag but also inventing it. I think about other painters such as Agnes Martin, and how they let their materials and methods be seen. It makes me realize that art is this ongoing conversation, and that we're all constantly learning from each other. Each brushstroke has its own unique meaning and emotion.