Bowl c. 1936

John Cutting made this watercolour drawing of a bowl at an unknown date. The drawing, rendered in muted blues and greys, has a quiet, contemplative vibe; it’s like Cutting is thinking about form through pattern and colour. Look closely, and you can see the texture of the paper coming through the washes of watercolour, especially in the background. This thinness creates a beautiful, almost ghostly effect, making the bowl feel fragile and precious. The detailed lattice work is interrupted by a single shard which has broken from the bowl. I love the fact the artist has chosen to depict the imperfection, the break in the wholeness of the object. It’s a metaphor for the way things really are, imperfect and incomplete. Cutting’s focus on pattern and form reminds me a little of Agnes Martin, who also found a kind of spiritual depth in simple geometric forms. Like her work, this drawing uses repetition and subtle variation to create a meditative space, a space for quiet contemplation.