The Rattlesnake c. 1915

Frederic Remington made "The Rattlesnake" out of bronze sometime in the late 19th century, and the process is what sings to me here. I imagine him, wrestling with the wax, building up form on form. Look at the way the horse rears back, muscles taut. It’s all heavy and solid, but somehow Remington makes it feel like it’s moving. The patina, that deep brown color, it’s like a skin, isn’t it? It’s almost alive. I see a kind of frenzy here, in the wild eyes of the horse, the way the rider is hunched over, his arm thrown out. Remington’s work is often compared to someone like Charles Marion Russell, both capturing the myth of the West. But Remington, to me, has this extra edge, a kind of raw energy. It reminds me that art isn't about perfection but about the messy, unpredictable dance of bringing something to life.