Gridiron c. 1939

Salvatore Borrazzo, who lived between 1855 and 1995, made this simple drawing called Gridiron with what looks like graphite or charcoal on paper. There’s a real beauty in the way he's approached this everyday object. The surface is worked with care, each line and shadow thoughtfully placed to give the metal a sense of weight and volume. See the way he's rendered the texture? It's not just a flat, smooth surface, but full of subtle irregularities. You can almost feel the roughness of the iron. I'm struck by the little mark that makes up the shadows between the bars. It's an unassuming detail, but it's these touches that bring the whole piece to life. It reminds me of some of the drawings of Giorgio Morandi, who transformed humble objects into monumental presences through close observation and careful mark-making. Ultimately, it's a reminder that art is about how we see, not just what we see.