Crock c. 1941

John Tarantino made this drawing of a crock—or maybe the *idea* of a crock—with pencil on paper. I imagine him circling the object, letting his hand and eye dance together. Look at the way the blue pigment bleeds and pools, creating depth and shadow. He’s not just copying what’s in front of him, but feeling his way around the object, translating its volume and texture into something new. I wonder what it was like for him, rendering this utilitarian object with such care. Was it a meditation? A way of connecting with the past? For me, this drawing resonates with the work of other painters like Giorgio Morandi, who found endless inspiration in simple, everyday objects. It’s like Tarantino is saying: even the humblest thing can be a source of beauty and wonder, if you really *look*. Artists are always having this conversation with each other, across time, about how to see and what to value.