Walnut Burl Bowl c. 1936

Beverly Chichester made this drawing of a Walnut Burl Bowl, we don’t know exactly when, but the way she renders the object’s woodgrain is fascinating. It gives me the feeling of someone really looking, not just seeing. The drawing’s got this split-level composition, a side-on technical plan of the bowl sitting above the kind of worm’s-eye view, the drawing wants to be complete. The texture of the wood itself is amazing. The way Chichester coaxes out the swirls and knots feels like a collaboration, she’s not imposing her vision onto the wood, but letting it speak for itself. I think the way the light catches the bowl's curves adds another layer. It reminds me of the drawings of Agnes Martin, who also used a simple, almost austere, approach to make something both minimal and deeply expressive. In both instances they show us how much can be found in the act of really looking.