Wrought Iron Ornament c. 1936

Arelia Arbo made this drawing of a Wrought Iron Ornament; it’s all about the intricate process, the labor, and the close looking. The marks are patient, almost like stitching, building up the image bit by bit. I find myself drawn to the way Arbo handles the texture of the building. There’s a real tenderness to the way the individual lines form the overall shape. It feels like she’s mapping the surface, understanding it through touch. Each mark is a tiny decision, a response to what came before. Look at the spire’s peak ornament - it’s a burst of energy, looping and swirling against the sky. It reminds me of those early abstract drawings by Kandinsky. The ornament seems to be speaking to us across time. It’s like a visual conversation between artists, each adding their voice to the ongoing story of art. Maybe fixed or definitive meanings don't matter so much - maybe what matters is the dialogue.