Flat Iron Holder c. 1937

This drawing of a Flat Iron Holder was made by Salvatore Borrazzo, but when? It's a mystery. It's rendered with precise lines, mostly monochrome, and it presents us with a functional object elevated to something more. The drawing has a mechanical feel to it, a sort of technical rendering, yet the object itself is far from cold; it’s ornate, decorative, almost ceremonial. Look at the way Borrazzo delineates the heart shape, and then the triangle within it, the lettering, the star – all those symbols loaded with meaning, rendered so carefully. I’m intrigued by the shadows that give it dimension, the way the object seems to float on the page. It reminds me a little of some of the Shaker gift drawings, a utilitarian object imbued with a sense of the spiritual. Ultimately, art is like that, isn't it? Taking something ordinary and making you see it in a totally new light.