Cross c. 1936

Editor: Here we have "Cross," a drawing by Ray Price from around 1936, executed in pencil and graphite. The subject matter has a very melancholic feel to it, even a sort of stoic beauty. What catches your eye in this drawing? Curator: The composition immediately strikes me. Note the stark contrast between the sharp geometric lines of the fence and crypt against the delicate, swirling filigree. This contrast invites a deeper exploration of form and spatial relationships. Editor: How so? Curator: Observe how Price uses line weight and shading to create depth. The cross motif is presented as an exercise in volume and dimensionality, where line directs our gaze across the plane. Are you struck by the way Price guides our eye? Editor: I do see that the composition centers the elaborate cross, contrasting with the stark background of the tomb. The textures created using only pencil are interesting, almost palpable. It really highlights the linear aspect. What do you make of that linear focus? Curator: The focus emphasizes the structure, the essential framework. The geometry, however ornate, still anchors our reading. Without this stark construction, we wouldn’t grasp the piece as profoundly, I’d argue. Editor: So it’s the deliberate manipulation of these elements – the contrasting forms, the play of light and shadow created by the pencil – that speaks to the power of the artwork. Curator: Precisely. Stripped of context, we see the formal qualities that render “Cross” a potent image. And that provides a solid foundation for any further investigation.