Dimensions: 54 x 27 in. (137.16 x 68.58 cm)
Copyright: Public Domain
This Gope Board was made by an anonymous artist, we don't know when, or with what material. But that's okay, let's just enjoy it, shall we? The surface of the board has this lovely, crusty texture, and you can see the way the white pigment sits right on top. Look at how the tools have been used to carve out the wood, creating a shallow relief. The paint seems almost like an afterthought, like the artist was exploring how far they could push the material. Focus on the face in the middle. See how it's formed by these swooping, looping lines? It's like a visual poem, or maybe a kind of song. This artist reminds me of Forrest Bess, with their commitment to a vision only they can see, their refusal to be pinned down. It's a reminder that art is, above all else, a conversation, a back-and-forth, a game of telephone stretching across time.
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