Silver Bowl c. 1936

Lon Cronk made this silvery, grey bowl with paint on paper. I like how the surface is kept simple, almost like a diagram or a technical drawing. The bowl feels both ordinary and kind of regal, you know? It reminds me of those old-school illustrations of silverware, but with a bit more heart. There's this one stroke, along the lip of the bowl, where Cronk lets the paint bleed a bit – a tiny wobble that brings the whole thing to life. It’s like the bowl is breathing, or maybe just had a bit too much to drink! It’s these little imperfections that make it feel so human. This piece reminds me a bit of Giorgio Morandi’s still lifes, in that they both take simple objects and turn them into something quietly profound. Ultimately, art is about finding the extraordinary in the ordinary, and Cronk does that beautifully here.