Betty Lamp 1935 - 1942

This drawing of a Betty Lamp was made by Cornelius Frazier, although we don't know exactly when. The lamp is rendered in graphite, appearing both solid and ethereal, like a ghost of an object. I like to imagine Frazier hunched over his paper, squinting at this lamp. Was it in his house? Did he know the person who used it? He's carefully mapping out its form with patient strokes, trying to capture the light as it wraps around its curves. Look at how he uses subtle shading to give the lamp a sense of weight and depth, but also to make it seem to glow from within. The delicate lines remind me of Agnes Martin's grids, but here, instead of minimalist abstraction, Frazier is giving us the real deal: a tangible object from everyday life. It’s like he’s saying, "Hey, this simple thing matters, too." And in its own quiet way, it does.