Pewter Lamp c. 1936

Joseph Stonefield made this drawing of a pewter lamp, but when? The date is unknown. Look how lightly Stonefield has shaded the lamp to create the illusion of three dimensions. You can almost feel the cool, smooth surface of the metal. I wonder if Stonefield was interested in capturing every detail of the lamp, or was he thinking about how light reflects off its surface, transforming a functional object into something more abstract? It makes me think about the quiet intensity that can be found in the everyday. The smaller drawing in the corner seems to show a plan of the lamp for manufacture. Stonefield is exploring different forms of seeing, and testing the boundaries between art and design. Ultimately, it’s the ambiguity of the work that is the most interesting thing. And ambiguity is where art happens.