Lard Lamp c. 1940

Wayne White made this painting, Lard Lamp, in an unknown year and with an unknown medium. Wayne has created a luminous vision of the common lard lamp, which in turn illuminates a whole history of ordinary life and domesticity. It has a muted palette of silvery greys, rusts, and browns, and it is as if the artist’s hand has coaxed into being through layered washes and careful observation. I can imagine Wayne, squinting and peering, trying to capture the subtle gradations of light and shadow on its metallic surface. There’s a real sense of care and respect in the rendering of this everyday object. The slight variations in color and texture suggest the passage of time and the marks of use – that little rust spot at the tip of the lamp, the worn surface of the metal. It’s humble, yeah, but quietly powerful, like a still life by Morandi. Wayne is saying something profound about how we perceive value and beauty in the world around us. I love that.