Sugar Bowl c. 1936

John Tarantino made this 'Sugar Bowl' drawing. The artwork is made up of careful and considered marks in delicate tones. The painting seems to have emerged slowly, intuitively shifting across the paper in the act of its making. I wonder what it felt like for Tarantino to paint it? He must have been thinking about the material properties of paint, how it can capture light and shadow, volume and texture, and how that can communicate feeling. The blues and greys are softly blended to give a sense of the three-dimensionality of the glass, a sense of light passing through. There is a tension between representation and abstraction – the sugar bowl seems both real and like a dream. It makes me think about other artists throughout history and today who are preoccupied with capturing light and color. Artists are always inspiring each other across time, and their paintings are always in dialogue. This work reminds me that painting is not about achieving a singular meaning but embracing ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations.