Rawhide Chest c. 1937

Gerald Transpota made this watercolour of a rawhide chest, and the soft, blurred edges of the paint give it a hazy, dreamlike quality. It feels like Transpota wasn't just copying an object, but evoking a memory. Look at the way the colours shift across the surface of the chest, from warm yellows to reddish browns. It’s like he's feeling his way around the form, not just describing it. The metal lock on the front is rendered with such care, each tiny detail brought to life with delicate brushstrokes. The whole image feels imbued with a tender sensibility. It reminds me a bit of Giorgio Morandi's still lifes. Both artists share an interest in the poetics of everyday objects, transforming the mundane into something quite profound through the intimacy of the handmade. Art isn't about answers, but about the questions we ask and the spaces we create.