Silver Wine Coasters c. 1936

Clayton Braun’s drawing pictures silver wine coasters and was made with graphite on paper. I love the precision and planning here, it makes me feel so calm. The drawing feels really technical and descriptive but it is also playful with those swirling lines. I imagine Braun might have been thinking about how functional design can still be aesthetically pleasing, like a dance between form and function. It makes me want to be more considerate in my work, and maybe even take up silversmithing! It is interesting to think about how Braun, who died not too long ago, fits into the bigger conversation about art and design. I find myself thinking about the Arts and Crafts movement, where artists and designers blurred the lines between fine art and functional objects. It seems that artists keep responding to each other across time.