Tie-back c. 1941

Helen Bronson made this Tie-back drawing on paper, and it’s a beautifully rendered object in shades of mauve. I can imagine Bronson, totally absorbed, building up layer upon layer of watercolor to create a design both symmetrical and organic. The center reminds me of a stylized flower. It seems like she’s finding her way, correcting, refining, letting the image emerge slowly. Look at how the small circular shapes form the outer edge. It has a sort of Art Nouveau feel. And the way the paint pools in the center, creating a dark shadow, is just gorgeous. I bet she paused, considered, then made that stroke, adding depth and mystery. It reminds me of Hilma af Klint’s botanical studies, but with an eye towards the decorative. Artists are always in conversation, aren’t they? Whether they know it or not. Each brushstroke is an echo of what came before and a whisper of what’s to come. It's through this accumulation of choices that Bronson has made something wholly hers.