Leslie McMain
charcoal on paper
594mm x 420mm
Title Study of Five Boxes (plus development drawing)
A simple box might hold deep metaphorical significance.
As Giorgio Morandi observed, “One can travel this world and see nothing. To achieve understanding it is necessary not to see many things, but to look hard at what you do see.” His still life works treat everyday objects with quiet intensity. With this drawing, the box is not just an object, but a structure of containment, of surfaces, edges, and hidden interiors. The five boxes are tightly arranged, generating a sense of pressure or containment. Each one is in a different state of openness, suggesting psychological states of concealment, exposure, or transition.
Maybe the boxes are protecting something, or on the verge of revealing something.
I used charcoal to help express these tensions through soft tonal shifts and deep shadows. The darker interiors create a sense of uncertainty, while the lighter surfaces perhaps vulnerability.
“A valuable experience, learning new techniques, and producing outcomes that I quite like. Another aim was to build confidence in communicating about art with others, and I am fortunate to have been part of a group of students who have been consistently friendly and supportive. Regular Zoom meetings and ongoing WhatsApp conversations have been invaluable in fostering this sense of community and dialogue.”