Wooden Fife c. 1936

This 'Wooden Fife' was made by Edward L. Loper. He captured two views of the object, rendering its cylindrical form in grayscale. It is an exquisitely humble drawing. I love the artist's dedication. He carefully considers the object. You can see the holes where the notes come out! They are meticulously drawn. I imagine Loper wanted to freeze the object. Not just as an object, but as an idea. He wasn't necessarily interested in painting pretty pictures, but rather invested in the process of seeing. For him, painting was a philosophical process. The drawing reminds me of the work of other American artists, such as Charles Demuth. Like Demuth, Loper embraces clarity and precision. He also reduces the world to its bare essentials. He finds beauty in simplicity. It's like these artists have something to teach us, that the ordinary is extraordinary. Their paintings aren't just about what they depict. They're about how painting helps us see and think.