Kettle c. 1940

This is Milton Grubstein's 'Kettle', we don't know exactly when it was made, and I'm not sure what it's made with, but it looks like charcoal. The artist has really nailed the balance between detail and looseness. I can almost feel the rough texture of the cast iron. You can see he’s worked to build up the tone gradually, and the letters ‘LLAT’ are etched into its surface. What I love about it is how the artist hasn’t tried to smooth everything out or make it too perfect. There’s a kind of honesty in the way he’s captured the wear and tear of everyday life, and the beauty of that. It reminds me of some drawings by Morandi, there's something about the simplicity of the subject matter and the focus on form that feels very connected. I’m left thinking that art is really about seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary.