Spur c. 1939

Gerald Transpota made this watercolour painting, Spur, sometime between 1855 and 1995. The mark-making here is so precise and controlled. It's like he's building up the image layer by layer. Transpota really focuses on the textures and the play of light on the metal and leather. Look closely, you can almost feel the weight and coolness of the spur, the worn-in suppleness of the leather. The colour palette is muted but there’s a warmth, a kind of lived-in quality, that's really appealing. See how he's captured the way the light catches on the edges, those tiny highlights that give it a sense of depth? It reminds me a little of Charles Demuth's precisionism, but with a more personal, tactile feel. Like he's not just showing us an object, but inviting us to connect with it on a deeper level. It's a testament to the power of art to transform the ordinary into something extraordinary.