Flat Iron Stand c. 1940

Luther D. Wenrich created this watercolor of a flat iron stand. The pale golds and creams of the metalwork contrast with the slick black of the handle. Imagine Wenrich’s concentration as he created the delicate forms of this image. What was he thinking as he made it? The way the star pushes against the more rounded, musical forms makes me think about the tension between design and function. I can almost hear the iron clanking down on it. The stand is both useful and beautiful. It’s like Wenrich wanted us to pause and consider the beauty in the everyday. I love the way the signature is almost hidden at the bottom, as if he's shyly saying, "Hey, I made this." Painters are always looking at each other’s work, across time, trading ideas. Wenrich's image makes me want to go back to my studio and find that balance between order and chaos, between the star and the song.