Female Head c. 1925 - 1928

Curator: Here we have John Storrs' "Female Head," a pencil drawing from the late 1920s. What springs to mind for you? Editor: Well, she seems lost in thought. A bit melancholy, maybe? It’s the downward gaze, the subtle shading around her eyes. But there’s also a strength in the geometric planes of her face, almost architectural. Curator: Precisely. The drawing exemplifies the Art Deco aesthetic—the streamlining, the geometric stylization of the figure. Observe the deliberate linearity. Storrs reduces the form to its essential components. Editor: It’s interesting how he contrasts those sharp lines with the softer, almost feathered shading. It creates this push-and-pull, like she's simultaneously solid and ephemeral. Did he work as a sculptor too? I’m getting a sense of sculpted form. Curator: Indeed, Storrs was primarily a sculptor, known for his abstract, geometric forms in metal and stone. This drawing, even in its two-dimensionality, carries that sensibility. Note the simplification of the hair, almost like a series of stacked blocks. The shadows define shape, volume, and even texture, but they stay within bounds. Editor: The pencil strokes are really visible; you can sense the hand of the artist. It’s almost like he’s building her face stroke by stroke, like constructing a building. There’s an incredible sense of deliberation and control. Curator: Precisely. Storrs used pencil as a tool for analytical exploration. Through the meticulous arrangement of line and shadow, he crafts a powerful statement of modernist aesthetics. It is a figure abstracted, yet human. Editor: I get it. It’s like he’s distilling the idea of “woman” into these pure, geometric shapes. There's an aloofness to it, though. Like we can see *her*, but can’t really know her. I’m thinking maybe she would rather not be bothered. Curator: The formal precision yields a certain distance, doesn't it? Editor: Yes, though there is something mesmerizing about the piece, and there’s so much humanity on the edge. It makes me appreciate the intentionality, and Storrs’ dedication to refining the essence of this human form. Thanks for pointing out details in this study of line and volume! Curator: An incisive observation.