Lace Edging c. 1939

Raymond Guterl made this drawing of lace edging, likely on paper with graphite. It's a study in texture, repetition, and the kind of detailed looking that can border on obsession. I love how the graphite captures the delicate structure of the lace, giving it a ghostly presence on the page. The mark making is so considered, each little loop and stitch is rendered with care. There's something really beautiful about the way Guterl has approached this. I think it is about process, about slowing down and really seeing, and maybe even feeling the object he's drawing. The tonal range he achieves is incredible, moving from soft greys to almost black in the shadows, and suggesting so much about the material. Look at the bottom strip, you can almost feel the texture of the lace against your skin. It reminds me of Vija Celmins' drawings of everyday objects, things she would look at so intently that they became these almost abstract fields of tone and texture. Both Celmins and Guterl are thinking about art as an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time. There’s such an ambiguous nature to each of these pieces, embracing multiple interpretations and meanings.