Stereoscope 1940

Carl Buergerniss made this image of a Stereoscope, sometime during his life using what looks like watercolor paint. He’s working with a light touch, isn't he? Applying thin washes of pigment to create an image of light and shadow. It's clear Buergerniss understood artmaking as a process of layering and refinement. Notice how the subtle gradations of color give shape to the wooden forms, like on the handle. I love how he captures the smooth, polished surface of the wood, with the way light seems to glance off it. If you look closely you can almost feel the cool surface of the lens against your eye. See how that contrasts with the warmer tones and rougher texture of the photograph it displays. It's like Buergerniss is inviting us to consider the relationship between reality and representation, between the object and the image. The work reminds me of Charles Sheeler, an American painter who also took an interest in industrial design. Like Sheeler, Buergerniss blurs the line between art and documentation, offering a quiet meditation on the beauty of everyday objects.