Flatiron 1935 - 1942

Geoffrey Holt made this small watercolor, Flatiron, on paper sometime in his lifetime, which lasted from 1855 to 1995. Look closely, and you can see a real sense of observation. The colour palette is restrained, mostly browns and greys, but that actually adds to the work's quiet intensity. The slightly wonky handle and the subtle shading suggest something about the passage of time and the nature of memory. The paint application here is thin and transparent, allowing the paper to breathe. See how Holt captured the rough, textured surface of the iron, it feels like I could reach out and touch it. The handle, that kind of shaky gesture, speaks to the everyday and the handmade. In a way, this flatiron is almost a portrait. Holt's Flatiron reminds me of some of Giorgio Morandi's still life paintings, where humble, everyday objects are transformed into something monumental. Both artists share an interest in the quiet beauty of the mundane, proving that art can be found in the most unexpected places. Ultimately, Flatiron reminds us that art is an ongoing dialogue.