Whiskey Glass 1937

Ralph Atkinson made this drawing of a whiskey glass with watercolor on paper. It’s a simple subject, rendered with precision. The drawing has a delicate touch. Thin layers of translucent paint build up the form of the glass, giving it a subtle luminosity. There’s a dance between control and letting go in the way the pigment pools and flows, especially in the base of the glass. That pooling creates a sense of depth and volume. The texture of the paper peeks through in places. It is a reminder of the physical support upon which the image exists. That subtle transparency is also a reminder of the glass itself, and its own ability to transmit light. It makes me think about Agnes Martin’s subtle grids. She also knew how to create a sense of endless space with minimal means. Atkinson gives us the ghost of a glass, an echo, something so ephemeral it could almost disappear before our eyes.