Chandeleir 1935 - 1942

Mildred Ford made this drawing of a chandelier, we don’t know exactly when, on paper. It’s all done in pencil, look how she’s built the image out of lots of tiny marks. The texture of the paper showing through gives the whole piece a soft glow, even though the subject is a solid, functional object. It’s like she’s making something sturdy into something gentle, something familiar into something new. Take a look at the way she’s rendered the central column supporting the light, the way the pencil lines overlap to give it depth, and that soft shadow falling just behind the candles. It's not photorealism, but it captures something deeper than just the appearance of the object. This drawing reminds me a little of Agnes Martin, you know, the way she also found the sublime in these quiet, minimal forms. And it’s all about the process. It’s like Ford is saying, “Here’s a chandelier, but here’s also me, thinking about it, drawing it, making it mine.”