Ladle c. 1936

Angelo Bulone made this Ladle, of indeterminate date, using brown crayon and graphite on paper. It looks like a precise technical drawing, but there is also a real sense of care. I love the gentle variations in tone that give the ladle its volume, the way the browns and creams blend together so subtly. It's like Bulone is feeling the object as he draws it, paying attention to the way light moves across its surface, from the bowl of the spoon, right up to the carved face on the handle. It’s methodical, loving observation. It reminds me a little of the work of the American painter, Philip Guston, but without the clunkiness. Both artists embrace a kind of humbleness, but in Bulone's work, it feels softer, more grounded. Maybe the object itself lends it that, something as simple and essential as a spoon. Who knew a utensil could be so beautiful?