Page of Proposal for Lighting Fixtures 1911

This is a page of a proposal for lighting fixtures made by John S. Bradstreet and Company, probably in 1911. The drawing uses a spare line, the kind of line you might get from a technical drawing, or the page of a notebook. It's really interesting to see the way these objects are rendered in a utilitarian style in contrast with the implied opulence of the objects themselves. The drawing shows ceiling lights and sconces, with curlicues and delicate lines. The words "Living room" and "Porch" are written in purple ink as if from a typewriter, the pricing marked next to each item. The whole thing has a very ghostly, ephemeral feel, the light almost radiating off the page through the network of lines. Artmaking is often like this, a conversation with the past, where we borrow and build upon ideas. Think of how David Hockney played with perspective and line, or how other artists have explored interior spaces and the play of light within them. It's never really about fixed meanings but more about the way it makes you feel.