Milk Pan c. 1940

John Tarantino made this drawing of a milk pan, and I find myself thinking about artmaking as a process, a kind of conversation, as I look at the way he works. The material aspects of this drawing are so interesting. The surface is smooth, the colors muted. Look at the blue decoration: each stroke is deliberate, giving the plant a vibrant, almost electric feel against the more passive, greyish-white of the pan. I love the way Tarantino uses the blue to create depth and shadow, especially in the flower. It's like he's inviting us to touch it, to feel the weight of the object. It reminds me of the work of Giorgio Morandi, who also found endless fascination in the subtle variations of everyday objects. Both artists teach us to see the world with fresh eyes, to find beauty in the ordinary, and to understand that art is less about answers and more about the questions we ask along the way.