Wafer Iron c. 1938

Benjamin Resnick made this lovely drawing of a Wafer Iron, we don't know when or why, but it shows an object that once existed – two flat, decorated plates on long arms. It makes me think about all the things we don't know about the past. You can almost feel Resnick’s hand moving across the paper, trying to capture the object in shades of gray. I wonder if he was thinking about the weight of the iron, its texture, and how the light might have glinted off its surface. The iron looks worn, used. Was it an antique when he drew it? And what about the person who made wafers with this tool? I imagine them carefully pouring batter onto the hot iron, pressing it closed, and waiting for the steam to subside. It is an everyday object, but it's also kind of special, with this pretty design. Maybe Resnick, like other artists, saw the beauty in everyday objects and found a way to capture a moment in time. It reminds us that artists are always building on each other's visions.