Shutter Fastener 1935 - 1942

This drawing of a shutter fastener was made anonymously, and with such precision, it feels almost scientific. The palette is restrained, almost monochromatic, but that makes you really notice the subtle gradations, and the way the artist uses shading to give the object a feeling of weight and volume. See how the light glances off the cylindrical body of the fastener? It’s like the artist is saying, ‘look closely, there is beauty even in the most utilitarian things’. I love the little flourish of the spiral at the end. It elevates the object, giving it a sense of whimsy. It’s funny, it reminds me a bit of Eva Hesse’s sculptures, the way she took industrial materials and transformed them into something so sensuous and organic. Art is about finding poetry in unexpected places.