Flatiron 1935 - 1942

Geoffrey Holt made this watercolour on paper, of a flatiron. I wonder what was going through Holt's mind as he painted this object? Maybe he was thinking about his grandma's house and the way the iron would hiss when she sprinkled water on the clothes. The earth tones are layered on the metal in this image, there is a sense of weight and substance to the iron but the paper and the lines of the artwork feel light and delicate. The flatiron feels worn, used, and imbued with a life of its own. The lines that describe the handle feel free and expressive. It’s funny how simple objects can hold so much meaning. It's like the artist is saying, “Hey, look at this ordinary thing, but really look at it.” And in that looking, we find something extraordinary. It’s that simple, yet so profound.