Grape Crusher c. 1937

Kurt Melzer made this image of a grape crusher sometime in the 20th century. It looks like a technical drawing, but with the charm of something handmade. I'm thinking about the way Melzer uses the paint, how carefully he builds up the image layer by layer. He’s making something flat feel three-dimensional, using subtle shifts in color and tone. I can imagine him, carefully studying every detail, trying to capture the essence of this object. I love how the drawing of the handle is floating off to the side. It reminds me that every drawing is an act of analysis, a way of understanding the world through careful looking. This piece feels like a cousin to the work of other artists who are interested in the everyday, like Vija Celmins' meticulous drawings of objects. Artists are always borrowing, stealing, and riffing off of each other’s ideas; Melzer’s drawing is part of that long, ongoing conversation. Painting is an exploration of the world, a way of knowing and feeling through the act of making.