Candlestick c. 1938

This is John Dana’s ‘Candlestick’, made with graphite on paper. Just look at the marks, the hatching, the density of tone, you can see how the process of artmaking, the labor of the hand, becomes something truly beautiful. Dana really knew the material qualities of graphite. Look closely and you’ll see how the reflections on the glass of the candlestick are achieved through building up layers, and by leaving parts of the white paper to shine through, allowing light and shadow to create a sense of three-dimensionality. The base of the candlestick is so dense with marks, so rich with the darkness of graphite that it feels as though it could topple the candlestick over, and yet it holds the piece. Dana’s work reminds me a little of Giorgio Morandi. Both artists embrace repetition, inviting the viewer to slow down, to really see the object, and to appreciate the beauty of the everyday.