Andiron (one of pair) c. 1936

Jack Staloff made this drawing of an andiron, or at least one of a pair, using graphite and colored pencil on paper. The marks have a tentative, searching quality. It’s like he's figuring out the object as he draws it, building it up through delicate lines and shading. What really gets me going here is the interplay between the detailed rendering of the andiron on the right and the more schematic, diagrammatic version on the left. The contrast is striking. The one on the right has weight and presence, built up with subtle gradations of color. You can almost feel the cool, smooth surface of the metal. But over on the left, it's all line. Like an architect’s blueprint. The drawing reminds me a bit of some of the architectural studies of Claes Oldenburg. Both artists share a fascination with the intersection of the functional and the sculptural, the everyday and the monumental. It's not about fixed meanings, but about opening up a space for possibility.