Candlestand c. 1936

This candlestick drawing was made by Jack Staloff; it’s probably pencil and crayon on paper, but who really knows? Staloff really takes his time rendering the metallic sheen of these liturgical objects, and the drawing has the crisp directness of a technical illustration. It’s so meticulous, and yet, it’s still so wonky, the mechanical components rendered as if they are living organisms. I especially love how the surface of each object seems to be constantly shifting, like the way the light would flicker across a metal surface. Look closely at the three-legged base of the stand, for example. There’s such care and concentration in rendering its three feet, yet they somehow don’t quite meet the ground. It’s as if Staloff is building this object in real-time before our eyes. This piece makes me think of Forrest Bess who also took up the problem of depicting the unseen. Art's an ongoing exchange, right?