Slipper 1935 - 1942

Nancy Crimi drew this slipper, at an unknown date, using graphite and watercolor on paper. It's a delicate piece, rendered in a limited palette of off-whites and browns. I imagine Crimi hunched over her desk, carefully delineating the shape of the slipper. Was she thinking about the person who might wear it? What the slipper symbolizes? I want to touch the paper to feel the smooth areas of the graphite versus the slight pooling of the watercolor. The slipper rendered in profile sits as though waiting to be animated, and above, the same slipper drawn in outline with the suggestion of a bow. I see echoes of Agnes Martin in the simplicity of the drawing. In the history of shoemaking and artmaking there is a conversation across time. Each artist leaves something behind for the next. It’s a beautiful, quiet exchange.