Andiron (one of pair) c. 1935

Jack Staloff's rendering of an andiron is done with pencil and watercolor on paper. Can you imagine sitting with a fireplace in your home and sketching the andiron resting there? I love that we see the object in full color, and in the background, we see its blueprint. Staloff is interested in showing us an accurate depiction of the object, but also the way it comes into being. There's a real tenderness in the way he renders the curves and highlights of the metal. The feet of the andiron are like animal paws, gripping the floor. Artists are always looking, always responding to their environment. We make marks that are in conversation with other marks that have been made before, an ongoing exchange. There is an attention to the small details, the way the light reflects off the metal, that makes this more than just a technical drawing, but a form of embodied expression.