Jewelry Button c. 1940

This is John H. Tercuzzi’s "Jewelry Button", made with pencil, ink, and watercolor. It’s just a study for a button, but isn't it funny how something so small can be so absorbing? I keep coming back to the top button, the one with the letter. It’s rendered with such care, that looping cursive 'H', floating on the mother-of-pearl ground. It’s hard to tell if the initial is painted onto the button or is part of the button itself, baked in. There’s a real tension between the flatness of the paper and the illusion of depth that Tercuzzi creates, especially around the edges of the button. I like the way this little study shows the artist’s thinking. It reminds me a bit of Vija Celmins’s meticulous drawings of ordinary objects. Both artists share that intense focus, which elevates the mundane to something kind of profound. It’s a good reminder that even the smallest gestures can hold a whole world of meaning.