Bulto:"Holy Trinity" c. 1937

Majel G. Claflin made this watercolour, "Bulto: Holy Trinity", at an unknown date. The simple palette and confident mark-making suggest that she understood artmaking as a kind of direct translation. I'm really drawn to the way Claflin has rendered the red robes. Notice how the vertical lines create a sense of depth and volume, almost as if the figure is emerging from the paper. The paint is applied in thin washes, allowing the white of the paper to peek through, giving the whole image a luminous quality. Then there's the black base, grounding the figure, solid and impenetrable. The chain slung around the figure contrasts the solidity of the base with something much more fragile, while speaking to some hidden narrative. The Holy Trinity itself becomes an ambiguous, unresolved, and potent symbol. It reminds me of Guston's hooded figures, weird and powerful. Art doesn't provide answers; it asks questions.