Lap Desk 1935 - 1942

Edna C. Rex made this "Lap Desk" out of paint and paper at an unknown date, and what strikes me is the color of the wood, rendered with a mix of red and brown. I wonder if she was thinking about the desk's usefulness when she made this. Maybe she saw this lap desk in use by someone she cared about. She really makes the shape clear, even though we can see that the paint is not even all over, so it's like she's thinking about how it looks but also how it feels to touch. The way the light catches the surface makes me think about how we use objects every day, and artists are in an ongoing conversation, inspiring each other. It's kind of amazing when you think about it! Painting embraces this uncertainty, allowing us to see things in new ways, and imagine how the artwork came into being.