Manure 1942

Ivan Generalic made this painting, 'Manure', with oil on glass, and it's pretty interesting, right? You can really see his process. The surface is smooth, almost glassy, which is what you get with painting on glass, but the way he builds up the details, those tiny, careful strokes, you feel the care he took with it. Look at the hay bales, how they almost glow against the muted greens and browns. There's something about the way he renders that pile of manure. It’s this dark, almost abstract shape, but it’s also so clearly manure, you know? This reminds me of some of the early folk art traditions, where everyday life is elevated through the act of painting. It’s honest and straightforward, yet full of feeling. It embraces a kind of ambiguity, a sense of wonder in the ordinary.