Trade Beads c. 1936

Walter Praefke, who lived from 1855 to 1995, made this study of "Trade Beads" without any indication of when or where, but with the kind of focus and attention most of us only give to things we love. It’s clearly process-oriented: look at the varied ways that the artist renders each bead, as if studying them one by one. The material is a flat, uninflected wash; you can almost see the paper fibers, and it feels very immediate, very direct. I love that Praefke doesn’t try to conceal the process, but rather embraces the physicality of the medium. Each mark is kind of tentative and exploratory, yet cumulatively, they create a really compelling image. Look at that little brown trapezoid hanging on the upper necklace. It’s such a weird, awkward shape, and yet it feels so perfectly placed. This reminds me of the work of Forrest Bess, who was also a self-taught artist with a very particular vision, art is an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time. And just as Bess embraced ambiguity and multiple interpretations, so too does Praefke in this lovely, understated work.