Crock c. 1941

John Tarantino made this line drawing of a crock sometime in the 20th century. Look at how purposefully he’s worked – the way he has used the black ink to delineate each shape! I can almost feel the artist’s hand moving, deciding exactly how much pressure to apply to the pen, and how to move it, to create the depth and dimensionality of the bird. I can imagine Tarantino sitting in his studio, maybe with a little light coming in through the window, focused intensely on his task. It looks like he’s drawing not just an object, but a whole tradition of making, of pottery and craft and design. The starkness of the black ink against the plain surface reminds me of folk art, maybe even cave paintings—a direct, unpretentious approach. This feels like a conversation between Tarantino and the countless artists who came before him, each one building on the ideas of the last. It emphasizes the importance of embracing imperfection, allowing our humanity to shine through. It’s not about perfection; it’s about expression.