Spur c. 1936

Gerald Transpota made this watercolor painting, Spur, on paper. I can almost feel him feeling this object. Look how carefully he's rendered the different materials - the dull gleam of the metal, the warm, worn leather strap, and that toothed wheel, so precise it’s practically vibrating. I bet he turned it over and over in his hand, trying to get it just right, noticing how the light catches on each little point. It’s funny to think about the kind of patience it takes to make a painting like this. I wonder if Transpota knew other artists painting objects, like Morandi, or whether he was just working away, lost in his own world. Either way, this spur seems to have sparked something in him, and I love the feeling of connection I get from looking at it. It's as if he’s inviting us to look closer, to really see the beauty in something ordinary.