Buttons c. 1936

This drawing of ‘Buttons’ by Michael Fenga feels delicate and precise, like the careful notations of a scientist or a cartographer mapping unknown lands. There is a frame within a frame, an exercise in repetition; the buttons look identical but are hand-drawn. I wonder what Fenga was thinking about when he made this? What was his daily life like, what were his hopes and fears? I like imagining him at his desk, squinting through his glasses, carefully rendering each tiny detail. This drawing feels very different to my paintings. I am always making a mess, but I’m drawn to the calm, almost meditative quality of this picture. It reminds me that all artists, regardless of style or background, are part of a larger conversation. We’re all just trying to make sense of the world in our own weird, wonderful ways.