Pa. German Flatiron Holder c. 1938

Salvatore Borrazzo made this drawing of a Pa. German Flatiron Holder, though we don't know exactly when. Just looking at this drawing, I can imagine him squinting, trying to get the likeness of the object just so. It’s all in pencil, with such soft marks. You can see where he built up the shading slowly, methodically, to give a sense of its weight and texture. I love how he’s captured the details, like the little bumps around the edge of the circle, and the way the light catches on the handle. Borrazzo must have been deeply engaged, maybe even a little obsessed. It reminds me how the simplest things, when really looked at, can become so complex and interesting. And that making art is a way of seeing, and feeling, the world more deeply.