Oil Wood Ladle 1935 - 1942

Geoffrey Holt made this image of an oil wood ladle with what looks like pencil and watercolour. It's a really lovely drawing, a humble kind of study. The limited palette, almost monochromatic, reminds me of Morandi, who spent his life just looking at bottles. In the bowl of the ladle you can see the marks of the pencil underneath the wash. He hasn’t tried to hide the working of the piece, in fact he has laid it bare, which gives it an honesty, you can see it's handmade and it embraces a kind of imperfection. There’s something about the tone of the drawing, its muted quality, that suggests something old, something found. I think that perhaps Agnes Martin might appreciate it's quiet, subtle nature. Ultimately, it's the simplicity of the image that resonates with me most.