Silver Teaspoon c. 1938

Kalamian Walton made this drawing, Silver Teaspoon, with ink on paper, and what strikes me is the quiet observation. It’s almost like a form of meditation. There is something so satisfying about the way the artist captures these spoons, not just as objects but as shapes, with their elegant curves and delicate details. Look at the lines, how they vary in thickness and weight, giving each spoon a unique presence. The top two spoons are seen from above and the bottom from the side, the simple lines describing the curve of the spoon, and that’s all it needs. The way the artist has drawn the pattern on the handles, especially on the middle spoon, they’ve really taken the time to look closely, a labor of love perhaps. I am reminded of the drawings of Agnes Martin, so simple, so subtle. Both artists manage to find so much in so little, embracing ambiguity and openness.