Fire Tongs c. 1937

Clyde Cheney made this beautiful rendering of fire tongs with what looks like watercolour paint on paper. There is such a gorgeous, subdued palette here. Look at the way the subtle watercolour washes create a sense of depth and dimension in this image. The artist’s hand is so present, but it’s a curious tension; between precision and the lovely imperfections of the medium. Cheney wasn’t aiming for photorealism. Instead, the slight variations in tone and the visible brushstrokes give the object a warmth and a sense of being touched by human hands. The different views are like different moments in time. The details float in their individual picture planes. It reminds me of some of the technical drawings made by artists like Agnes Martin, where function meets something more delicate, human, and imperfect. It's in that imperfect space where things get interesting. It is a reminder that art can be found in the everyday, and that beauty exists in the intersection of precision and chance.