Architectural Detail (Wall Brackets) 1935 - 1942

This drawing of 'Architectural Detail (Wall Brackets)' was made by William Kieckhofel, though we don't know when. It looks like graphite and watercolor on paper. I’m immediately drawn to the color; the whole bracket is rendered in ochre, a warm color with a slight orange tint. Kieckhofel carefully builds up the bracket’s form with layers of shading, which gives the whole thing a feeling of depth and texture. The surface is smooth, but the drawing suggests that it would be rough to touch. The parallel lines of the stylized leaves remind me of the work of artists like Hilma af Klint. There’s an ambiguity to the bracket, it's not functional - the rendering is too flat to support anything - but it's not entirely divorced from the idea of functionality, of holding something up. This piece is like a conversation; Kieckhofel is sharing ideas with the viewer, and now we get to keep the conversation going.