Desk 1935 - 1942

This drawing of a desk was made by Aaron Dermansky. It has a way of showing us something in such a way that makes us think not just of a desk, but of time itself. The desk is depicted in a series of even, regular marks made with watercolor paint. The artist lays the colors on in thin, transparent washes. The paint is built up to create the shadows which model the form of the desk. I love the contrast between the precise drawing of the desk, and the more free rendering of the shadow around it. Like Agnes Martin, Dermansky has a way of implying depth without getting heavy handed. The regularity of the drawers, for example, is only slightly off, just enough to let you know it’s a real thing, and that somebody really looked at it. It makes me think about craft, labor and repetition. Art is an exchange of ideas across time, it's not just about objects, but about how we see the world.