Bullet Mold 1942

Fred Hassebrock’s ‘Bullet Mold’ is a watercolor work on paper, with a muted palette that gives it a kind of austere beauty. The color scheme here is limited to browns, grays and beiges, but it’s the fine gradations between them that make the piece so interesting. The way Hassebrock models the light on the metal parts of the mold, for example, is incredibly sensitive. Looking at the wooden handles, you can see the way the grain of the wood is rendered so carefully. It makes you wonder what kind of brush he was using – maybe something with a really fine point? It reminds me of the work of some of the German realist painters like Durer. Of course, Hassebrock’s subject matter is a bit more humble, but there’s a similar attention to detail and a real love of the material world. Art is a long conversation across time. We get to listen in.