Newel stairs 

Karl Ballenberger made this drawing, "Newel Stairs," with graphite. The composition uses a tight perspective, pulling the viewer into the architectural space. The light, cool gray tones and precise lines create a sense of depth, and an almost palpable silence, which may lead to a feeling of isolation. The drawing's structural elements reveal Ballenberger's interest in form and construction. Notice how he meticulously renders each stone and beam, emphasizing their geometric shapes and spatial relationships. This attention to detail invites us to consider the architecture not just as a functional space, but as a complex interplay of lines and forms. Ballenberger destabilizes our conventional understanding of space by creating a tension between what is visible and what remains hidden beyond the stairs. The drawing becomes an exploration of architectural space, where the visible structures suggest a reality that is always incomplete and open to interpretation. This incompleteness is not a flaw, but rather an invitation to imagine, to project our own understanding of the world onto the framework provided by the artist.