Pie Plate c. 1936

Rolland Livingstone made this drawing of a pie plate. It's undated, but it gives me a funny feeling, maybe from the mid-century, with its earthy color palette. The plate, rendered from multiple angles, has this simple, looping design on it – a continuous, golden line that seems to trace the movement of the hand. See how the paint isn’t trying to trick you into thinking it’s not paint? It’s just there, doing its thing, kinda casual. The texture is smooth, the color consistent, and the process feels pretty open and intuitive. It reminds me of some of Alfred Jensen's diagrams, but less concerned with math, more focused on the playful meander of thought, or maybe the path of a bumble bee. It's like Livingstone is saying, "Here's a pie plate, and here's how my mind wanders when I look at it." Art, you know, it’s just one big conversation.