Cooper Plane c. 1938

Edward Unger made this drawing of a Cooper Plane, we don't know exactly when, using pencil and watercolor. I love how the watercolor gives the wood this real sense of weight and age. The artist has this lovely approach to mark-making, where they use these very thin lines to define the shape and form. The color palette is mostly browns and grays, which gives the work this grounded, earthy feel. Look at the way the texture of the wood grain is rendered; you can almost feel the roughness of the surface. And then there's that little sketch of what looks like a teacup. It’s as if Unger is reminding us that art, like carpentry, is also a form of making and building. There’s a quiet, almost meditative quality to this work, reminiscent of Agnes Martin's drawings, where simplicity and repetition create a space for contemplation. It's a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, full of echoes and whispers across time.