Ceremonial Bowl 1935

This drawing of a Ceremonial Bowl was made by Michael Trekur, though the exact date is unknown, it's rendered with graphite and colored pencil. Look closely at the gradations in tone: see how Trekur coaxes a gentle form from such simple materials? There's a lovely dance here between line and shadow, a real pushing and pulling, that gives the bowl its sense of volume. The surface of the bowl is built up from many tiny marks, hatching in different directions, building the form. I love the way the shadows ground the bowl, giving it weight, even though it's just a drawing. Notice how the drawing looks like it is floating on the page; a simple shape that is not quite representational. I'm reminded of the work of Giorgio Morandi, who spent his life drawing the same bottles over and over; trying to find the extraordinary in the ordinary, simple things. Art is a conversation, always.