Flat Iron Holder c. 1939

Bernard Krieger made this drawing of a flat iron holder, its date unknown, with pencil on paper. I can imagine Krieger moving back and forth, from the flat iron holder to the paper, from observation to mark-making, coaxing the thing into being with line. And what is a drawing, after all, but a kind of holding? It's beautiful, the way the object comes into view. Look at the ovals, the way they create these spaces between the double point want u comfort iron and the flat iron at the center of the holder. I imagine Krieger’s hand as it moved across the page, capturing the industrial design with precision and care. Each line and shadow carefully rendered. Think about it, the flat iron itself becomes an image held within the image of its holder. I love this. Drawings like this remind us that everything we see is a product of labor, design, and ingenuity, and that artists like Krieger help us to see the beauty and complexity in everyday objects.