Comb c. 1937

Isidore Steinberg made this drawing of a comb, sometime between the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, with what looks like watercolor or gouache on paper. The color palette is warm, reminiscent of tortoiseshell. It makes me think of hair, and the way hair holds memory. There’s something so simple, and direct, about the execution, and the way the artist has captured the texture of the comb. The paint is thin, almost translucent in places, which allows the paper to peek through. There is an unfinished quality, like a trial run; next to the comb is a light sketch of a decorative flourish. I think about my own process a lot, and how it is about layering, and letting things emerge over time, rather than a finished product. In a way, this drawing reminds me of Giorgio Morandi's still lifes, where everyday objects are elevated through careful observation and thoughtful rendering. And just like Morandi, Steinberg invites us to slow down and really look at the beauty of the ordinary.