Cast Iron Rail and Gate c. 1936

Arelia Arbo made this drawing of a cast iron rail and gate sometime in the 20th century. The repeated patterns, like Xs stacked upon each other, create a rhythm and visual interest through this method. I’m really drawn to the materiality here. The pencil marks are visible, especially if you look closely at the surface. I’m looking at the fleur-de-lis at the top of the gate, and thinking about how each little mark adds up to create the whole, and how the artist worked to describe what she saw, a process of interpretation and transformation that mirrors our own efforts to understand art. The grey of the graphite gives the iron a shiny, metallic quality. It’s not just a representation of a gate; it’s a record of the artist’s hand, her observation, and her creative process. This reminds me a little of the architectural drawings by Louise Bourgeois, both artists are able to record the world around them with sensitivity and care.