Woman's Slippers c. 1937

Al Curry's 'Woman's Slippers' looks like it was created with delicate watercolors and a precise hand. I can imagine Curry hunched over the paper, meticulously building up the forms of the slippers with tiny strokes and washes of color. Those carefully rendered red details against the dark slipper surfaces—I wonder what thoughts were going through Curry’s mind. The composition is so simple: a pair of slippers seen from above, and another shown in profile, floating on the blank paper. There’s a quietness, an attention to detail that speaks of dedication. It reminds me of other self-taught artists who find beauty in everyday objects. The way they look isn't exactly realistic, but that's not the point, is it? It's about the act of looking, seeing, and translating that vision onto paper. Each of these self-taught artists are involved in an ongoing conversation, speaking to each other across time through their unique visions.