Chest of Native Pine Painted in Oil 1935 - 1942

This chest of native pine was painted with oils by E. Boyd, though we don't know exactly when it was made. I love the folksy quality of the mark making in this piece, like it was made with joy and not too much preciousness. The earthy oranges and reds, the leafy greens and creams of the horses, it’s a very grounded palette. Look closely, the paint isn't too thick and you can see the weave of the wooden surface coming through. The horses are so interesting, the way they prance forward, all energy and movement, but they're painted with this loose, almost cartoonish style. For me, it has echoes of some of Henri Rousseau's paintings. Both have a similar naive quality, this directness that bypasses traditional ideas of representation and gets straight to the emotional heart of things. Anyway, it is more about feeling than looking ‘correct’, right? Art’s an ongoing conversation. It's all about exchange.