Hurricane Shade 1936

John Dana drew 'Hurricane Shade' on April 20, 1936, but the material he used to make the image is unknown. The drawing reminds me of the careful planning that goes into making a painting. The drawing process is visible with each mark a deliberate, yet transparent step in the vase's unfolding form. The delicacy of the drawing medium allows Dana to capture the transparent quality of glass, which is an interesting paradox. The floral decorations, like the curlicue tendrils, have a rhythmic quality, a gentle movement frozen in place. I’m drawn to the way the base gently disappears into the surface, as if the vase could, at any moment, melt back into its nothingness. Dana reminds me of another great observer of light, Giorgio Morandi, an Italian painter, who saw beauty in dusty bottles and jars. I think Dana, like Morandi, encourages us to look closely, not to take anything for granted, and to see the potential for beauty in the everyday.