Hand Glass c. 1936

Edith Magnette made this drawing of a hand mirror, with coloured pencil on paper, and it's like she’s mapping out an idea. I imagine her, pencil in hand, circling and hovering, searching for the right form and angle. There are three versions of the object here – a possible triptych of a mirror, from its face to its back. Look at the way she’s used vertical lines to suggest the wood grain of the handle. It’s so simple but effective. The color is subtle, a wash of red and brown, evoking warmth and texture. I love how the mirror itself is just grey pencil, like a void or a question mark. What do you see when you look in the mirror? What did Magnette see? Her drawing feels related to the work of other artists who explore everyday objects, like Claes Oldenburg, who turns the mundane into something monumental and strange. It’s a testament to how artists can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. We artists are always in conversation, aren't we, bouncing ideas off each other across time.