-Basket Bank c. 1902

This is Charles A. Braun's Basket Bank, it was made with cast iron and its surface is wonderfully painted. It's kind of like a trompe l'oeil, isn’t it? When you first look at it, the weaving is very convincing but then you get closer and the regular texture of the iron contrasts with the almost liquid surface of the brown paint. The paint pools in the little rectangles of the woven form. The painter seems to relish this tension between surface and depth. And the little silver knob on top adds such a playful touch. I'm reminded of the work of contemporary ceramicist Liz Magor. She makes vessels out of clay but then adds found objects and rough textures to their surfaces. Like Braun, Magor is fascinated by the tension between representation and abstraction, between the handmade and the found. Art is just a conversation, right? We all borrow from each other, remixing ideas, and making something new.