Saw c. 1938

Edward Unger made this watercolor of a saw, but we don't know when. Unger's got a real eye for detail, hasn't he? The subtle variations in color, like the rust on the blade, and the wood grain on the handle, feel so delicate! It's interesting to see an image of a tool like this, like a portrait, as if it were a person. I love the way he renders the physicality of the object, the worn edges, the weight of the metal. The precision of the saw teeth juxtaposed with the free, organic form of the wooden handle is striking. You can almost feel the tension between the two! The way Unger has treated the surface makes me think of the work of Charles Sheeler, who also painted tools with a kind of precisionist reverence, but Unger brings a unique sensitivity to the materials. In the end, art, like a good tool, is all about how you use it, and what you make with it, right?