Stoneware Vase c. 1936

Fred Weiss made this stoneware vase with an unknown medium and date, and it's just so fascinating. There’s this quietness, a muted palette of grays and blues, that speaks to the nature of artmaking as a conversation with materials. The texture in this artwork feels smooth but with subtle variations, like the gentle imperfections you'd find in handmade pottery. The blues are layered, creating depth, especially in the decorative swirls and dotted patterns. It's the imperfections that make it real, like the artist’s hand lingering just a bit longer on one curve than another. The repetitive dot patterns and the bold 'IM' with the date feel like a personal mark, a kind of signature or statement. It reminds me of the way some folk artists create their own visual language. The vase reminds me of work by Giorgio Morandi, who made a career out of quiet, contemplative still lifes. Both artists seem to be saying that beauty is found in the everyday. This vase invites us to find beauty in simplicity, embracing ambiguity and celebrating the multiple interpretations of art.