Cement Works 1938

A. Grant Arnold made this drawing of Cement Works with graphite on paper. Look at the tonal range Arnold coaxes out of the graphite. It's like he’s trying to make solid forms appear out of thin air, which, in a way, he is! He handles the drawing as a process, embracing the accidents and the subtle gradations of light and shadow. I’m drawn to the lower right corner, to the pile of…what is that, cement? Sand? The texture is built up through tiny, hatched marks, layering to describe form. The forms are solid but the marks build up a delicacy. Think of the drawings of Agnes Martin, the way she makes rigorous mark-making seem almost accidental. Ultimately, art embraces ambiguity. It’s about offering multiple interpretations, rather than fixed meanings.