Riding Boot c. 1936

Dorothy Gernon made this drawing of a Riding Boot on paper, and it feels almost like a blueprint or technical drawing but there's something more personal happening here. Look at the way she's rendered the form of the boot, how the black ink shines, catching the light. It's like she’s caressing the surface with her brush, giving it a real sense of depth. And then there are the two ghostly outlines of other shoes floating to the left. Are they alternatives, discarded ideas, or just a glimpse into the artist’s process? It's this tension between precision and ambiguity that makes the drawing so intriguing. The brown leather top of the boot is flat and matte, with visible strokes. In contrast, the bottom of the boot is shiny. This contrast is so cool and makes me think of the work of someone like Philip Guston, who also found beauty in the everyday and elevated it through his unique vision. It’s a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, and there's always room for new voices to join in.