Lamp c. 1940

Lawrence Phillips made this drawing of a Lamp, we don't know when, using what looks like graphite or colored pencil on paper. It's a very close observation of the object, but it also has a really dreamlike quality. The color palette is subtle, almost monochromatic, which is interesting because it draws our attention to the light and shadow, and makes the lamp look almost like it’s glowing from within. I am interested in the base of the lamp where we can see the build up of layered marks, giving the lamp its volume and depth, but also its sense of existing in space. The marks seem intuitively placed, each one building on the last. This reminds me a bit of Giorgio Morandi's still lifes. Both artists transform everyday objects into something really contemplative and magical. It reminds me that art is often less about what we see, and more about how we see it.