Bracelet c. 1938

John H. Tercuzzi made this watercolor drawing of bracelets; with a paper size, roughly, of 12 x 9 inches. The precision work, all those tiny, tiny brushstrokes! I can imagine the artist's hand moving deliberately, rendering each detail of the jewelry. Tercuzzi is composing with an internal logic, where repetition and symmetry serve as a kind of meditation. Look at the color! So descriptive, as each tone contributes to the overall effect of refinement and subtle opulence. Tercuzzi’s gesture really communicates intention and meaning. Think of the countless hours he may have spent observing and interpreting these objects onto paper. I think it is the type of repetition you find in Hilma af Klint’s geometric paintings or Agnes Martin's grids; it’s an attempt to grasp something beyond the surface, beyond the form, into some kind of an essence.