Octagonal Table c. 1941

Peter C. Ustinoff made this drawing of an octagonal table, its date unknown, with an almost architectural, certainly structural, approach to mark making. The sepia palette, and limited tonal range, creates a real sense of depth and dimension. The material quality of the piece lies in its deceptive simplicity: look closely and you see that the color is built up through many layers of hatching, creating the suggestion of texture. The tonal variations in the wood are rendered beautifully, creating the impression of form through a very subtle manipulation of light and shadow. My eye is drawn to the scalloped detail beneath the table top, the little semi-circular cuts, each one slightly different, implying the work of the hand, but also hinting at the idea of the decorative. In some ways it reminds me of the drawings of Josef Albers, in its dedication to form, and its interest in the language of simple shapes. Ustinoff has created not just a representation of a table, but an essay on the very idea of ‘table’.