Missal Stand 1937

Gerald Transpota made this watercolour of a Missal Stand, and the gentle washes of colour, ochres and browns, make it look like a fond memory. It’s a humble thing, a stand for a book, and yet it’s rendered with so much love that it feels kind of monumental. Look at the way Transpota uses the watercolour, thin layers built up to create depth and shadow. The texture is remarkable; you can almost feel the grain of the wood and the delicate carving. The light catches on the edges, highlighting the details, like those little curls at the bottom. It reminds me of the way we look at things we cherish, noticing every little detail, imbuing them with meaning. I’m put in mind of a still life by Morandi, the way he could turn a humble bottle into something profound. It's like Transpota is saying, “This matters, this simple object, this act of devotion, this is worth seeing." Art can be that way, you know? Elevating the ordinary, finding beauty in the everyday.