Crock c. 1953

This drawing of a crock was made by Yolande Delasser. Look at the continuous lines, tracing the shape of the pot and then lettering: No 80 Furman St, Brooklyn, NY. I love that. I wonder, was Yolande sitting in her apartment copying the image of a crock for some reason, or was she maybe sitting in a factory where they made crocks? You know, painting involves a lot of trying to get things right, or failing that, just getting them interesting, so you keep shifting your position, and I can imagine her, trying to capture the essence of this simple object, the subtle curves, the utilitarian design of the handles. I feel a kinship with Yolande’s impulse to represent an object that is both familiar and somehow removed. I can almost feel the texture of the paper she used, the way the pen glided across the surface, and the way the ink bled slightly into the fibers. It's a good reminder that we are all, as artists, connected through this ongoing conversation and exchange, and that’s what keeps it interesting.