Shift: pattern 1935 - 1942

This is a drawing, it’s called Shift: pattern, and it was made by an anonymous artist. Looking at it, I’m drawn to the hand-drawn lines, each one a decision, a little journey. The artist uses these simple lines to map out a pattern, like a secret language for creating something new. There's a kind of vulnerability in showing your working, isn't there? It’s like seeing the skeleton of an idea, the raw potential before it’s fleshed out. I think about how the artist's hand moved across the paper, each stroke building up this intricate design. It reminds me a little bit of some of Ree Morton’s process drawings, though those are more playful. There's a directness here, an honesty about the making process, that feels really compelling to me. It celebrates the beauty of the imperfect, the provisional, inviting us to participate in the ongoing conversation of art.