Iron Gate c. 1936

Sebastian Simonet made this drawing for an iron gate with graphite on paper. The artist really embraced the linear quality of graphite here. The marks create an intricate design, and you can almost feel the artist working, as if the drawing is a diagram or a set of instructions for a blacksmith. I’m drawn to the contrast between the rigid, architectural structure of the gate and the soft, flowing lines that make up its design. Those circular motifs, like stylized flowers, bring an element of playfulness to what could have been a very austere structure. Look at the bottom, the dark band of graphite is softened by those circles, which offer a contrast to the solidity of the lower section. The top section seems to echo this with the semi-circular shapes on either side that rise like the sun, and frame the work. For me, this piece echoes the drawings of architectural plans by artists like Piranesi. In the end, art is not about fixed meanings but about the ongoing conversation, and exchange of ideas.