Ice Tongs 1939

Eugene Bartz made this drawing of Ice Tongs on paper; the date is unknown. Look at the colour palette. It's really restrained, a few browns and creams, but it really works. Art making is often about that process of reduction, taking something complex and distilling it down to its essence. The material aspects of this drawing are really interesting, it’s a very thin wash on the paper, allowing the texture of the surface to come through. There is a slight stain on the paper, and flecks of something, dirt or dust, which adds to the feeling of realism; this is an old object. I am drawn to the central area where the two sides of the tool meet, it has been built up with tiny flecks of brown to describe the circular joint. I am reminded of Vija Celmins’s drawings of everyday objects, things like hotplates and lamps, these paintings are not trying to be clever, but just trying to capture a moment of observation and meditation. Art is an ongoing conversation, a back and forth between artists across time, each adding their own voice to the mix.