Toy Bank: Uncle Sam 1935 - 1942

This watercolor on paper, "Toy Bank: Uncle Sam", probably made a long time ago by an anonymous artist, really gets at the heart of what artmaking is all about: process. Look at the way the artist worked the paint into the paper, thin washes of colour that build up the form. You can almost feel the artist figuring out what colours to use, how much water to add, where to apply each brushstroke. It's about discovering how things work. The colours are muted, but warm - terracotta, and a kind of faded denim. This work isn't so much about illusion as it is about materiality, the texture of the paper, the way the paint sits on the surface. If you look at the bottom of the base, the artist has flicked some darker shades into the salmon paint, making it look like the work has been aged by the sun and the rain. It reminds me a little bit of Red Grooms's playful sculptures, but with a very different feel. Both artists are celebrating the everyday world, making it glow. It's like they are saying: look closely! There is so much to enjoy.