Hair Ornaments c. 1939

Jerry Guinta created this watercolor called "Hair Ornaments," date unknown. What strikes you first is the symmetrical placement of the three distinct ornaments against a stark white background. The composition draws your eye in and around the frame. Guinta uses a muted palette, focusing on gentle contrasts of color and shape to define each form. Notice the delicate lines and shapes; hearts and stars are cut into the left and right ornaments, while the central piece explodes outward like an asterisk. Through the simple arrangement of these images, Guinta invites us to consider how cultural objects are not merely decorative, but also carriers of meaning, reflecting our society and its values. Consider the negative space, the blankness that surrounds the shapes. It pushes our perception to recognize how absences of space, line, and color can speak loudly. In their simplicity, these hair ornaments transform into symbols that hold a much larger presence.