Wrought Iron Door c. 1936

Al Curry made this drawing of a "Wrought Iron Door" using ink on paper. The mark-making is so detailed. It’s almost obsessive, but in a good way. You can feel the artist really getting into the process, letting the pen lead the way, one tiny line at a time. The surface texture has a handmade quality. The lines are so precise, yet you can see that human hand behind them. Look at the way the ink is denser in some areas than others, suggesting a variation in pressure. The little curlicues and decorative elements, each one is slightly different, and it’s like the artist is improvising, like sketching with embroidery. Take a look at how the wall looks next to the wrought iron. The wall has been very subtly stippled, perhaps in an attempt to indicate that this wall is made of stone or concrete. I find myself looking at these details and wondering what kind of world this door protects. It reminds me a bit of the drawings of architecture that Piranesi made, but with a more personal touch. The beauty of art is that it's always a conversation across time, an echo of ideas that continues to resonate and change.