Bread Tray c. 1941

Mildred Ford made this "Bread Tray" drawing, but we don’t know exactly when. The red-brown of the tray itself is laid down with visible strokes, letting the paper breathe through, almost as if the object has been aged by the weather. The materiality here is fascinating, the surface of the bread tray looks almost like worn leather or patinated metal. See how the leaves are painted flat and graphic in a bright, almost acidic green, in contrast to the tray. I love that! Ford is playing with different ways of seeing and representing the world. The tray's interior explodes with delicate flowers, an unexpected burst of color and joy. The drawing echoes the work of folk artists like Joseph Yoakum, who created imaginary landscapes with a similar sense of freedom and invention. It’s like Ford is saying, art doesn’t have to be one thing, it can be a bread tray, a memory, a dream.