Stoneware Jar c. 1937

This is Annie B. Johnston’s Stoneware Jar, made with what looks like graphite or maybe charcoal on paper. I love the way the color feels both precise and a little bit hazy. It’s as if Johnston wasn't trying to copy the jar exactly, but instead, evoke its essence. There's a square in the upper right corner, a close up of the surface I guess, with a beautiful granular texture, that is echoed across the body of the jar. Look how she builds up the tones with tiny marks! The jar has a real presence; there's a quiet power to the object, and the neutral tones give it a kind of timelessness. It reminds me of some of those grey Morandi paintings of bottles, but with a bit more…I don’t know…gravitas? Both artists share a similar interest in the poetry of everyday objects, elevated through the careful attention of the artist's hand. I love both artists' commitment to a sustained and ongoing act of looking.