-Post Office- still bank c. 1950s

This painted still bank, in the form of a post box, is made of metal and coloured red and black. I love the way it uses these simple shapes – the cylinder, the rectangles for the 'Hours of Collection' – to create this illusion of a post office. The printing is so basic, so direct, there’s no attempt to trick you. You see the materials for what they are. I like the way the paint job isn't perfect, it's worn off in some places, giving a glimpse of the metal underneath. It reminds you that art is a process, a making and unmaking. The red and black, so bright, but also a little bit dull – the colours seem to be fighting with each other. It's like the artist, whoever they were, was thinking about Mondrian and Pop Art at the same time. It’s a bit like the work of Corita Kent, who was a nun and a graphic designer, both playful and serious, and always open to interpretation. This little bank isn't trying to be anything it's not, and I find that really refreshing.