Iron Work on Balcony c. 1936

Al Curry rendered this technical drawing, ‘Iron Work on Balcony’, in monochromatic ink. At first glance, the composition might strike you as a fragmented study, yet, look closer and you’ll see it’s a carefully orchestrated interplay of architectural elements. The drawing presents a systematic deconstruction of a building's ornamental ironwork, and each component is meticulously rendered to showcase the bracket, railing, and balcony. The building is presented with an antiquated aesthetic, possibly referencing a bygone architectural era. The drawing functions as a visual inventory. It calls to attention how the elements relate to each other, and how they function as signs within the broader structural context of architectural drawings. Consider the calculated arrangement of the elements, which not only emphasizes their formal qualities but also invites reflection on their cultural and historical significance. The drawing prompts us to question how we perceive architectural details and the symbolic language embedded within them.