Tree Trunk Hitching Post c. 1937

Richard Correll painted this ‘Tree Trunk Hitching Post’ on paper, in a combination of brown and green hues. I imagine him stepping back, squinting, adding another layer, maybe wiping away some parts, then building it up again. What might Correll have been thinking? I feel the connection between the title, and the form. It looks like a marker, a sign, both natural and constructed. The colors feel earthy, like actual bark and grass. The trunk is cylindrical, solid, and the top part is almost ornamental. I find myself wondering if he was thinking about how nature and culture intersect. Maybe it's a way of seeing how we shape the world around us and vice versa. It reminds me a bit of some early folk art I've seen, where everyday objects become imbued with meaning. It’s like Correll is in a conversation with a whole history of artists and makers. Painting can do that, it can hold so many voices and perspectives.