Crock c. 1953

John Tarantino made this drawing of a crock with what looks like graphite and watercolor. The beauty of a simple drawing like this is how it reveals process; you can really see how it was put together. There’s something so elemental about this image, a few simple lines and smudges on paper, and yet it evokes this weighty, three-dimensional object. Look at how the watercolor is used to give depth to the handles and the maker’s mark. It’s almost like Tarantino is feeling his way around the form, discovering it as he goes. The lines aren't precise, they waver and fade, giving the whole thing a kind of ghostly presence. It reminds me of some of the still lifes by Giorgio Morandi, those quiet arrangements of bottles and jars. Both artists find something profound in the everyday, elevating humble objects to a level of contemplation. Art is like that, always in conversation with itself, finding new ways to see the world around us.