Hitching Post c. 1938

George File made "Hitching Post" with paint on paper, we don't know when. The palette is earthy but with a weird twist. That off-kilter blue on his face, against those almost clownish red spots, it’s like a dream you can’t quite shake. Looking closely, the paint seems thin, washy even, not trying to hide anything. You can see the paper’s texture underneath, which gives the whole thing an unpretentious feel. See how File uses these little strokes, almost like stipples, to build up the form, it's like he’s thinking out loud, the process on display. That fist he's holding out, it's so strange, like a misplaced full stop, a moment of awkwardness, but also a kind of invitation. It reminds me of Red Grooms, with that same sense of quirky, homespun theatre. Art's not about perfection, it's more like a conversation. What do you think he wants to say?