Quirt c. 1939

Flora Guerra’s ‘Quirt’ emerges on paper through delicate strokes of watercolour. You can almost feel Guerra gently coaxing the image into being, shifting and refining the braided whip with patience and care. I imagine her, brush in hand, contemplating the textures, the tight binding of the leather, the subtle shifts in tone and colour. What was she thinking as she worked? Perhaps pondering the history of this object, its function, its place within a specific culture or tradition. I'm fascinated by the contrast between the delicacy of the watercolour and the object. The textures, the play of light, it's all communicated with the lightest touch. You look at a painting like this, and it reminds you that all artists are in conversation, across time and space, influencing and inspiring each other. It’s a reminder that painting is a form of expression that embraces ambiguity, that allows for multiple interpretations.