Cigar Store Indian c. 1939

Georgine E. Mason made this work, Cigar Store Indian, using watercolor. The colours are muted, almost earthy, but she coaxes a real vibrancy out of them. You get the sense that Mason is working to find her way into the image, thinking through it as she goes. This image feels a little like folk art. There’s a flatness to the picture, like a sign painting. I like how Mason has used the pigment, building up thin layers of translucent colour to give shape to the figure. Take a look at the way she paints the folds of the dress, with each layer of thin paint creating a complex and tactile surface. It’s like she’s building up the form with these translucent washes, finding it as she goes. Maybe Marsden Hartley, or Milton Avery, would be kindred spirits. All three share an interest in a flattened picture plane and an openness to a certain visual naivety. Art’s always an ongoing conversation. We learn from those who came before, riffing on their ideas. There are no solid answers.