Bark Peeler c. 1937

Chester Kluf painted this bark peeler using what looks like gouache or tempera. I can imagine Kluf, poised with his brush, trying to capture not just the object but its essence, its weight, the feel of the wood, the cool hardness of the metal. Look at the handle, the way the paint is worked to mimic the grain, the little imperfections. It's like he’s trying to hold onto something real, something tangible, in a world that’s always slipping away. The blade tapers and curves with a sinuous line, it almost seems to have a life of its own. What was Kluf thinking as he painted it? Was he remembering a time when the tool was in use, the sounds and smells of the forest, the physicality of the work? There’s a quiet dignity in the way he’s rendered this humble object, elevating it beyond its utilitarian purpose. It reminds me of Van Gogh’s boots or Morandi’s bottles - artists finding profundity in the everyday. It makes you think about labor, landscape, and the stories objects can tell.