Shallow Dish c. 1936

John Tarantino’s "Shallow Dish" is a work of pencil on paper, and when you look at it, you realize the artist has looked long and hard at a shallow dish. The process is so subdued, so quiet, and yet something about it feels so alive. I imagine Tarantino, with his pencil, trying to work out the light and shadow of this simple glass bowl. Notice the delicacy of the lines, the gentle shading. The work is so light it almost floats off the paper. You can see him thinking, trying to understand how it reflects and refracts light. I love how he includes a detail in the lower corner, like a little key to the dish’s design. The bowl seems to shimmer with potential. It's like he’s not just showing us a dish but suggesting the countless ways a simple form can hold light, space, and maybe even memories.