Drawer Pull c. 1936

Janet Riza made this drawing of a 'Drawer Pull' on paper, at an unknown date. It feels like a study, maybe for a larger work, with the artist considering how the pull might appear straight on, or from the side, thinking in the round. The color palette here is restrained, almost monochromatic, focusing on subtle gradations of tone to describe the form and texture of the pull. You can see how the color is built up in layers to describe how light reflects off the surface of the metal. The lines are clean and sharp, but they are not clinical. They have a delicate quality that makes it seem very precious, like the artist is making a record of something beautiful. Look at the area where the handle curves, where the paper peeks through, giving it that sense of being both solid and ethereal. It reminds me a little of the drawings of Agnes Martin, there is a similar interest in line and subtle color. In the end, art is always about the conversation, the ongoing exchange of ideas across time.