Barrel still bank c. 20th century

This anonymous still bank, made in the shape of a barrel, sits in the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It's got a raw kind of energy. The whole object is covered in this crusty, almost distressed, red paint. It’s not trying to be slick or perfect. You can almost feel the hand of the maker, the way the paint layers have been dragged and dabbed. Someone was really in the zone making this, not too worried about messing up. I love how the gold stripes, meant to mimic the barrel's hoops, are uneven, kinda wobbly. There's a bit of the base red peeking through in places. This reminds me of the work of Elizabeth Murray, who made paintings that took everyday objects and turned them into something wild and wonky. And it makes you wonder, what other unexpected forms and materials might be hiding in plain sight?