Grinder 1935 - 1942

Nicholas Amantea made this drawing of a ‘Grinder’ with what looks like graphite or coloured pencil, the date is unknown, but it has a real tenderness. The drawing has a real descriptive approach, carefully mapping out the object in front of him. I love the way the wood grain is described with small hatch marks. Up close, it's possible to see the texture of the paper coming through, which adds a sense of depth and materiality to the drawing. The metal parts are rendered with an almost obsessive level of detail, capturing the rough texture of rust, which gives a real sense of weight and volume to the object. It makes me think of other artists like Giorgio Morandi, who spent his life drawing humble, domestic objects. Like Morandi, Amantea seems less interested in depicting objects, but in how an object becomes a subject.