Artwork of the Week: August 31
Yet to be colored by society, an innocent child appears in the form of a plain and lovely sketch. A young boy wears loose pants and a shirt that seems to be over-sized for him. He firmly sticks his hands to his hips with a stiff posture. With a cap tilted on one side covering his eye, the boy offers a shy and goofy smile to the viewers. The juxtaposition of naivety and desire for maturity characterizes the curiosity of a child.
The picture of a clumsy child we have probably seen somewhere before diverges from Mahonri Young’s widely known masterpieces that embody Southwest scenery or everyday laborers. Its familiarity is heightened with the artist’s choice of everyday supplies of ink and paper. We witness a moment of warmth that reminds us to appreciate not only lavish oil paintings but small, ordinary things we sometimes pass by.
