Bright Angel Trail [blue block] 1919

This is Gustave Baumann's "Bright Angel Trail [blue block]", made from wood. You can almost feel the carving marks; the artist’s hand is so present, isn't it? Look at how the surface isn't just flat; it's got all these ridges and valleys, almost like a topographic map. The blue, it's not just one note, but a whole symphony of blues, from deep indigo to almost turquoise. See the way he lets the wood grain show through? It's like he's not trying to hide the process, but celebrate it. There's a kind of humble beauty in that, I think. Like he’s saying, "Here's the wood, here's the carving, here's the color." It reminds me a bit of some folk art traditions, where the materials themselves are as important as the image. And it's got that same kind of directness, that feeling of "I made this, and here it is." It’s not trying to be slick or fancy, it's just real.