Weather Vane c. 1938

Curator: Before us is "Weather Vane," a watercolor created around 1938 by James McLellan. What strikes you initially about it? Editor: It has this strange elegance—sort of poised mid-gallop, frozen yet full of latent energy. Like it’s waiting for a good gust of wind to come alive again. It also gives the sensation of floating above a roof top. Does that make sense? Curator: Perfectly. McLellan's choice of watercolor imbues a delicate sensibility to the potentially robust form of the weather vane. Consider the dynamism created by the deliberate placement of line, reinforcing both movement and structural stability. The horse appears simultaneously grounded and ethereal. Editor: And it’s a horse—such a classic symbol! I mean, freedom, power, even luck depending on which way it’s facing. Makes you wonder whose rooftop this thing was meant to grace, right? I feel like they wanted a symbol that said, “We’re going places, baby!” Or, you know, something equally ambitious. Curator: McLellan uses this figuration and geometric design to tap into those very notions, doesn't he? The lines articulate direction, becoming emblematic of aspiration. Consider the tonal modulations and contrasts, heightening dimensionality. A reading through semiotics highlights how these symbolic elements operate as signs… Editor: Woah, there! Semiotics? Suddenly I'm back in art school... But yes, I can get that! It all leads to the artwork suggesting progress, change, even adventure in its purest form. Makes one want to throw their arms up into the wind. Curator: Precisely. Ultimately, this study of a weather vane transcends its mundane function, evolving into an exercise examining both visual and ideological forms. Editor: For sure. And that equine shape is really kind of graceful; I didn't think of a horse silhouette that way. Curator: Its rendering truly underscores the art's strength as something both beautiful and purposeful. Editor: It’s inspiring to realize such elegance lies within such everyday objects. What began as merely functional becomes something beautiful because of the artists touch.