Mold 1937

This is John Wilkes’ ‘Mold’, a drawing made sometime in the 17th century. What strikes me about it is the artist's careful, almost reverential, attention to the object. I can imagine Wilkes hunched over his drawing, squinting, trying to capture the light as it catches on the grain of the wood. I wonder, was he thinking about the person who made the mold, the skill and care they put into carving those intricate designs? The thistle and rose, symbols of Scotland and England, side by side. Or the other mold with its curious, repetitive pattern, like a secret code. Wilkes has paid such close attention to texture, to the subtle variations in tone and the rough edges of the wood. The way the image seems to hover on the page gives it a strange, ethereal quality. It's a quiet, contemplative piece, inviting us to pause and consider the beauty of everyday objects. I can imagine it hanging alongside the work of other artists interested in the poetics of the ordinary, like Agnes Martin or Giorgio Morandi.