Bandbox c. 1939

Gilbert Sackerman, who lived between 1855 and 1995, made this watercolour, "Bandbox". The linear structure reminds me of textiles, like he's teasing out a pattern, finding the geometry in an object. I love how Sackerman works with these repetitive marks; it's almost like he's knitting the form together. The surface is built up through thin, transparent layers of watercolour, giving it a delicate feel. There's a lovely tension between the precision of the lines and the way the colours bleed, creating a kind of hazy, dreamlike quality. I keep coming back to the rim of the box, where the pattern seems to unravel a little. There's a sense of playfulness there, a willingness to let go of control. For me, this piece resonates with the work of Bill Traylor, another artist who found beauty and meaning in the everyday. Art is about embracing the unexpected, and Sackerman seems to know that.