Jar c. 1938

John Tarantino made this drawing of a jar sometime in the 20th century. It's a study in blue, a color that can feel both calming and a little melancholic, don’t you think? There's a lightness to the way Tarantino uses the blue ink, almost like he's sketching ideas straight from his mind. The lines aren't perfectly solid, but they have a handmade quality which gives the image a kind of energy, a sense of constant motion. Look at how the blue blooms outwards on the central flower, it is almost jewel-like. Then notice the faint lines which surround the images in the composition, these make the flowers look almost ghostly against the muted ground. I'm reminded of the work of Cy Twombly, another artist who let his hand wander across the page, creating these amazing, poetic doodles. Like Tarantino, Twombly was fascinated with the dialogue between drawing and the subconscious.