Spur c. 1936

J. Henry Marley made this drawing of a spur using pen and ink and graphite, probably sometime in the 20th century. Look at the way he's used all those little dots to create areas of shadow. It’s like he's building up the form bit by bit, like making a sculpture. I really like the material quality of the drawing; you can almost feel the texture of the paper, and see the way the ink bleeds slightly into it. Look at where the two arms of the spur meet, the way the dark ink becomes a pool right on the edge, and then spreads out in little fractal patterns. It's like the drawing is alive, and the ink is breathing. It puts me in mind of the drawings of Alfred Jarry - similar lines and subject matter. Both artists seem interested in the darker aspects of human nature. But really, art is just an ongoing conversation, a way of seeing and thinking and feeling that is always changing and evolving.