Andiron (one of pair) c. 1936

Mildred Ford made this drawing of an Andiron, one of a pair, with graphite on paper. Look at the marks she makes to build the form. See how the graphite is layered to create a sense of volume? It's like she's sculpting with her pencil. The softness of the material contrasts with the hardness of the metal object, which is interesting to me. The surface is smooth, with delicate, granular textures, especially where the form turns at the top of the main support. There's a real sense of care in the way she’s rendered this utilitarian object. It almost looks like she's trying to understand the object through drawing it. It makes me think of Vija Celmins and her drawings of everyday objects, rendered with such precision and detail that they become almost abstract. Both artists transform the mundane into something extraordinary through their dedicated and thoughtful process.