Crock c. 1941

John Tarantino made this drawing called ‘Crock’ with what looks like graphite or charcoal on paper. You can see the artist was interested in the ways that blue and off-white interact, like the balance between the figure and the ground. It's a simple palette, but it has a rich visual texture. I find myself drawn to the bird, with its layered cobalt feathers, and how they contrast to the cream background. I imagine John building up these marks, one by one, finding the shape through repetition. Look at the circular forms of the body and head, they have an almost brutalist quality. The image overall is fairly stylized, so you can see the physical work that went into it. This reminds me of the work of Mike Kelley. Both artists explore the ways that simple forms and materials can be used to create complex and evocative images. In the end, the meaning of this drawing is up to us.