Coin Purse c. 1936

This drawing of a coin purse was made by Gladys Cook, who lived from 1855 to 1995. Look at the singular object rendered in red. A tube, bending over on itself. What could this be? And what did Gladys want to make it? I can imagine Gladys considering this object. She sees the form with such clarity. And then she renders the pattern of the beads, dot after dot. Perhaps she made it, maybe she just saw it, perhaps she drew it from memory, or from imagination. I like to imagine her poised, and calm, but probably, she was just a person doing work, trying to conjure what she saw, or felt. You know, it makes you think about how artists are always in conversation with one another, across time. Gladys’s coin purse drawing is like a quiet echo, a reminder that every artist builds upon the visions and ideas of those who came before, influencing those who will follow. There's always room for new interpretations, new feelings.