Griddlecake Turner and Fork c. 1937

Edward Loper created this drawing of a griddlecake turner and fork. What I love about this drawing is its simplicity. Loper draws a very clear image of these mundane cooking utensils. I imagine him studying them closely, considering their shape and function, and carefully drawing them onto the paper. The grey of the metal suggests to me the many times that these utensils have been used to cook food. The slightly curved edges of the spatula suggest a history of flipping pancakes on a hot griddle. They have an elegance and utility, like a Brancusi sculpture or a humble folk object. For Loper, painting the everyday was a lifelong pursuit. In the same way that Morandi spent his life painting bottles, Loper’s sustained attention to the ordinary allows us to see the world around us with fresh eyes. This is a drawing about really seeing.