Resin Coated Box Nails 1973

This drawing, made by Tony Smith in 1973, is titled "Resin Coated Box Nails". The casual sketchiness gives the work a sense of immediacy, like a note scribbled in a studio. Smith’s drawing is all about the interplay between line and form, and the materiality of everyday objects. Look at how the lines intersect and overlap, creating a sense of depth and dimensionality. There’s a kind of raw energy in the way the marks are laid down. I think you can feel the artist working through ideas in real-time. The red lines that define the end of the wood is such a striking contrast to the overall blue and brings a touch of the architectural to the piece. It reminds me a bit of Sol LeWitt's wall drawings, in the way it reduces complex ideas to simple, geometric forms. Both artists share an interest in process and repetition, creating systems that generate endless variations. For me, art is all about that ongoing conversation, that push and pull between different ideas and approaches.