Salt Cellar c. 1940

John Tarantino’s Salt Cellar is a study in blue, rendered on paper, probably with watercolor. I can just imagine the artist, carefully layering the paint to bring this small, ornate object to life. There’s this lovely square detail, up in the right-hand corner, and it almost looks like a key to the puzzle of the larger image – a close-up of the overall pattern. I wonder if he was thinking about the tradition of still life, how everyday objects can become these little worlds of contemplation? There’s a kind of tenderness in the way he’s handled the details. It makes me think about the hours artists spend alone in their studios, quietly observing and translating the world around them. Tarantino’s salt cellar is a reminder of the beauty that can be found in the most unassuming corners of our lives. It is also part of the great history of artists looking at other objects and art.