Foot Warmer c. 1936

Arthur Wegg made this drawing of a foot warmer with what looks like a graphite pencil on paper. The lines are delicate, tentative even, like he’s thinking through the object as he draws it. Look at how the composition is broken up into four different views. It's a real nuts-and-bolts approach. The texture of the paper is visible, giving the drawing a subtle, handmade feel. The way the lines intersect and overlap creates a sense of depth and dimension. There’s a real sense of care and attention to detail, like he’s trying to capture every aspect of this foot warmer. The drawing reminds me a little bit of Hanne Darboven's systematic approach to mark-making, but with a touch more warmth, maybe because it’s a foot warmer, not a mathematical equation! In both, there’s a sense of the artist working through an idea, figuring things out as they go. Art isn’t always about perfection, it can also be about the messy, human process of trying to understand the world around us.