Circus Wagon Decorative Carving 1935 - 1942

This watercolor study of a circus wagon carving was made by Harry King, and it captures the way a carver might consider the fall of light on wood. King’s work reminds me that artmaking, even the most skilled kind, is about process: looking, feeling, and responding. Here, the material rendering is translucent, the colors are layered thinly, almost tentatively, to create depth and shadow. Look closely at the spiral form behind the figure’s head, how the umber paint pools in the recesses of the form, then thins out across the top of the curve. This balance between detail and open space gives the piece a sense of movement, like a fleeting glimpse of a circus wagon in motion. The carving style is not dissimilar to 18th century wood work - I'm thinking of Grinling Gibbons. That earlier work was far more baroque, of course, yet they share a virtuoso skill in the manipulation of the medium. It goes to show how artists across time share a language.