Houses with Red 1917

Charles Demuth made this watercolor, "Houses with Red," and what gets me is how it's like a stage set. He's not trying to trick you into thinking it's "real;" instead he lays down these translucent geometric washes. It’s a bit like collage, but done with a brush. Look closely, and you can see where the paint bleeds into the paper, leaving these delicate edges. The texture of the paper becomes part of the painting itself. It's so different from the slick surfaces we see now, this is intimate. My eye keeps going to the roof. It’s this pale triangle, barely there, with just a hint of ochre to suggest depth. Demuth knew his way around watercolors, and you can see him later echoed in someone like David Hockney, especially in the way both played with light and space. It all reminds you that art is less about answers, and more about keeping the conversation going.