Clock Jack c. 1941

Joseph Cannella's drawing of a "Clock Jack" feels like a quiet observation, made with pencil or a similar dry medium. The restrained palette, mostly muted blues and browns, gives it a somber, almost antique feel. Up close, you can see the way Cannella builds up the tones with countless tiny strokes. It's like he's not just drawing the object, but also its weight, its history, and the way light hits its surface. The texture isn't exactly photorealistic, but more like a memory of the object, filtered through layers of time and personal feeling. The meticulous details on the surface of the crank and stand, where each area of rust and pitting has been rendered, are particularly captivating. It reminds me a little of Giorgio Morandi's still lifes, those humble arrangements of bottles and boxes. Like Morandi, Cannella seems to find endless fascination in the ordinary, revealing the beauty and complexity hidden in plain sight. It's a reminder that art isn't always about grand gestures, but about paying close attention to the world around us.