Bunker Lamp c. 1940

Helen Hobart made this drawing of a bunker lamp, it must have been a fascinating object for her to record so meticulously. I wonder what Hobart was thinking as she was drawing. It’s like she’s examining the object, but also figuring out how to represent it, how to translate it into a different language, the language of drawing. I feel like the variations in the drawing suggest a way that she's trying to understand the object. Notice how she varies the tone and pressure of her marks to capture light and shadow. She really pays attention to the texture, capturing those little nicks and bumps along the side, those give it personality. I really admire her commitment to the act of looking, and her willingness to put in the time to really see. That's what drawing is all about, isn't it? And it reminds me that art is a conversation, we build on what others have done before, inspired by their vision.