Trivet c. 1941

Sydney Roberts made this ‘Trivet’ drawing, but we don’t know exactly when or with what, though it looks like pencil and watercolor. The lines create a beautiful, symmetrical arabesque, as if she found the design already in the world, and was simply tracing it. The color palette is muted, almost monochromatic, but there’s a slight variation of tone that gives the metal form a weighty, sculptural presence. Look at the way Roberts renders the edges of the trivet. Are they rounded or sharp? The sensitivity of these marks creates the illusion of three-dimensionality. It reminds me of the drawings of overlooked objects that Jasper Johns did. Both artists elevate a mundane, functional object, transforming it into something worth contemplating. Art is about seeing, but it’s also about thinking. What do you see when you look at this drawing? What do you think about art, objects, and their place in the world?