Lamp c. 1936

Here we have "Lamp," made with graphite on paper by Louis Annino. It's so interesting to think about drawing as a process, about how all these tiny marks come together to form something that looks solid and real. If you get up close to the drawing, you can see how the light is built up with so many tiny marks. The graphite looks almost burnished in places, like the lamp has been polished and buffed. It's amazing how much depth and form Annino coaxes from a single material. Look at the tiny sketch in the lower right corner. For me, that little doodle is like a window into Annino's thinking. It's like he's saying, "Here's the basic shape, now let's see what I can do with it." The lamp in the drawing looks like it could be a prop in a Giorgio Morandi painting. Both artists share a love for simple, everyday objects, and a talent for making them feel both familiar and strange. Isn't that what art is all about, looking closely and finding new ways to see the world around us?