Dough Trough Bench c. 1940

Editor: Here we have LeRoy Griffith's "Dough Trough Bench," created around 1940. It looks like it's rendered primarily in pencil. The composition feels simple and utilitarian, almost architectural. What do you make of this work? Curator: It's compelling in its stark simplicity. Consider the formal elements: the artist employs line to define form with an exacting precision, devoid of superfluous detail. Note how light plays across the surface of the bench, revealing the texture of the wood grain, contributing to the dimensional rendering, while the geometric form suggests a study in structural integrity. Are you struck by the use of light and shadow to describe volume? Editor: Yes, the rendering does give it a solid feel. I'm also curious about the angle. It's not quite a head-on view, nor is it from above. Is the point of view relevant to how we understand this drawing? Curator: Indeed. The artist's careful placement of the viewer subtly influences the work. By positioning the subject at a slight diagonal, we engage with its three-dimensionality, highlighting its geometric shape and overall construction. It's an elegant study of form and space through minimal means, isn't it? What strikes you most about the perspective? Editor: It makes it feel less like a portrait of a bench, and more like an investigation of form, like you mentioned. I hadn’t considered that. Thanks for pointing it out! Curator: My pleasure. Art, fundamentally, is all about seeing.