Tool Box 1 1966

Jim Dine made "Tool Box 1" at some point, and you can see his interest in process through the simplicity of its monochrome palette. It's all about the texture and the graphic quality, really. The stark contrast between the tools and the black background gives each object a kind of iconic presence. See how the white ink isn't perfectly uniform, there are slight variations that suggest the hand of the artist? That's what gets me, the almost casual way he presents these everyday objects, elevates them, makes them worthy of contemplation. I think of the work of someone like Rauschenberg, who also used everyday objects in his art, but Dine brings a different kind of intimacy, a personal connection to the tools he depicts. For Dine, I believe the beauty lies not just in the objects themselves, but in the act of seeing and representing them.