Coopers Adz 1935 - 1942

Francis Jennings made this drawing of a Coopers Adz, we don't have a date for it or know what materials he used to make it, but it's a kind of loving record of a tool. Look at the way the artist uses these warm browns and grays. There is a transparency and a softness to the application of the paint, you can really see the paper underneath. The handle is rounded and smooth, and I wonder how he achieved this effect. If you look closer at the head of the adz, you can see how Jennings paid real attention to the tool's materiality. The way the light catches the blade, for instance, is beautifully captured. I'm reminded of some drawings by Alex Katz; this feels similar to the precision and attention he pays to everyday objects, though with a very different sensibility. The interesting thing about art is that there is no right answer, only different points of view, and that's what makes it so fun.