If you want to cast some anxiety around a classroom you need only say these words, “Get out your #2 pencil.”

For once, being #1 isn’t the end all be all.  Pencils come in a wide variety of  shades and hardness, about which only artists and draftsmen give a whit.   That being said, when I look at the incredible detail and shading in artist Louise Despont’s drawings, I can respect that materials matter a great deal.  Adding to the interest, her foundations are giant, antique, ledger pages.  The work carries itself.

Gallery representation: Nicelle Beauchene Gallery