Warming Pan c. 1939

Jack Staloff made this drawing of a warming pan, and he uses the kind of graphic precision that you find in technical illustration. But then the surface is also rendered with a kind of tender, loving care, so the object seems to glow. The metal has a subtle sheen, a kind of soft light that brings the whole thing to life. Look at the way Staloff suggests the gentle curve of the pan and the worn texture of the handle. The whole thing feels real, like a tangible object you could reach out and touch. Even the meticulously drawn design on the pan has a warmth to it. Staloff reminds me of someone like Alfred Maurer, in that he manages to be both precise and expressive at the same time. It’s like he’s saying that even the most humble objects can be beautiful if you really take the time to look at them. For Staloff, ambiguity is where the magic happens.