Flour Sifter c. 1939

Richard Taylor made this drawing of a flour sifter, and, like all drawings, it’s about light. Light bouncing off a thing, hitting the eye, being translated by the brain. The colour palette is all brown and sepia tones, which brings a comforting warmth. The thing itself has a pleasing geometry: the simple, forthright planes and angles of the frame contrast with the curved handle and the delicate mesh of the sieve. What is it about a simple thing, lovingly rendered, that has such an effect? Look at the lower left leg of the sifter, how the artist used the white space and a simple line to suggest the angle. This is a piece of quiet observation and great economy. This drawing reminds me of the work of Charles Sheeler, another artist who found beauty and elegance in the everyday. There’s a joy in the practice of looking, of seeing.