Wrought and Cast Iron Gate c. 1936

Al Curry made this drawing of a gate from wrought and cast iron at an unknown date. Look at the detail in this sketch; you can almost feel the weight of the metal, and the intricacy of the design. I imagine Curry hunched over his drawing board, carefully tracing the lines of the gate. The curls and spirals at the top must have taken a lot of patience. Did he pause to consider the play of light and shadow on the metal? Or the way the gate would stand as a threshold between public and private space? The criss-cross lines at the bottom of the gate, they add a graphic element that feels so contemporary. It reminds me a bit of the work of artists like Frank Stella, who also explored geometric forms and patterns in his paintings and sculptures. It shows that artists, even across different disciplines and time periods, are constantly in conversation.