Highboy c. 1939

Frank Wenger created this drawing of a Highboy, we don't know when, or why, but that's part of the mystery, right? It feels like an act of preservation, like Wenger’s saying, ‘Look at this thing, isn’t it something?’ The colour palette is muted, mainly browns, with some greeny-gold for the handles. The artist's mark making suggests a process of careful observation, but also an element of interpretation. It is, in some ways, a celebration of craft. Looking closely, you can see how the surface of the wood is rendered with delicate strokes, almost like a topographical map. The handles are like little jewels, catching the light. I love the way Wenger uses the paper's surface, leaving it bare in places, allowing it to breathe. It reminds me a bit of Agnes Martin’s work, in its simplicity and quietness. Both artists show us that there's beauty in the everyday, if we just take the time to look.