-Dog on Tub- still bank c. 1920 - 1934

This little dog bank was made by the A.C. Williams Company, and, well, I don’t know exactly when, but there's something about its patina that makes it feel like it's been around for a while. The red-brown color and the way the surface is worn away in places suggests a history, maybe of kids saving pennies for candy, or just sitting on a shelf somewhere gathering dust. The way the cast iron is molded, you can almost feel the texture of the dog's fur, even though it's smooth to the touch. Notice the line where the dog sits on the tub: it's rough and uneven, like the sculptor wasn't too concerned with perfection. This casualness reminds me of outsider art, where the focus is more on expression than technique. The color is applied thinly, almost like a stain, letting the metal show through. The way the light catches the edges makes me think of Giacometti sculptures, all rough surfaces and elongated forms. But where Giacometti is all angst and existentialism, this little dog is just kind of…there. It’s a reminder that art doesn't always have to be serious to be meaningful.