The Beauty of Sagging
Charles Burchfield, Abandoned Farmhouse , watercolor, 1932 These two paintings, though they depart in color, have a similar theme about aging and the passage of time. It's partly expressed by the contrast of shapes in each of them. Philip Koch, Bright Morning, oil on canvas, 36 x 54 inches, 2019 At the top is a poignant watercolor by Charles Burchfield of a long abandoned house. It was new to me when I came across it this evening. What's striking is the serious decay of the section of the house closest to the viewer. As its heavy roof sags further you can sense the movement of its eventual collapse almost as easily as the waving of the windswept grasses. Burchfield makes that so dramatic by contrasting it with the rear section of the house that still stands upright. The passing years seem eager to pull down this front section. They'll leave the back part for later. Just yesterday I completed my large canvas Bright Morning. It's a accurate