Cigar Store Indian 1937

Irving Biehn made this watercolor painting, Cigar Store Indian, sometime in the 20th century, using delicate washes of color to bring this figure to life. There is something about the thinness of the paint that feels right; you can sense the original, untouched paper just beneath the surface. Look closely at how the layers build up, the blues and yellows of the garments, the reds and greys of the skirt. The feather headdress is rendered with pale pinks, greens, and blues. Each area feels carefully considered, almost reverent. I keep thinking about the area just above the figure’s right hand, how the blue of the arm meets the yellow of the drapery. It’s a seemingly minor detail, yet it’s these moments of transition that hold the painting together. Think about the work of Joseph Yoakum, another outsider artist who found inventive ways to use color and form. Like Yoakum, Biehn offers a unique vision, an idiosyncratic perspective, and a fresh way of seeing the world.