Ship's Trailboard c. 1939

Sadie Berman made this drawing of a ship’s trailboard, sometime between 1855 and 1995, using what looks like graphite and colored pencil on paper. The trailboard, or decorative trim, has a kind of primitive elegance. The marks are delicate and precise, each leaf rendered with care, and the metallic-looking gold and deep blue-grey are lovely together. I can imagine Berman carefully layering the colored pencils to achieve this effect. Look at how the leaves form a continuous, undulating pattern. The repetition is soothing, but each leaf has slight variations, like snowflakes. It’s a testament to the human touch. This piece reminds me of the work of Joseph Yoakum, who was also drawing from memory and imagination, creating these kinds of personal landscapes. Art becomes a conversation, doesn't it? An ongoing exchange of ideas, visions, and ways of seeing. There’s no one right way to interpret something.