Bison c. 1929

Joseph Hecht made this drawing, Bison, with delicate lines that remind me of a sleeping giant. I imagine him in his studio, feeling the animal's weight and presence, trying to capture its essence with the fewest possible marks. Look at the way he suggests the bison's fur, with tiny, almost scribbled lines, like he’s thinking, 'how can I communicate all of that information with just a few gestures?' It makes me think of other artists who’ve used line in such an expressive way, like Cy Twombly or even Matisse. I get the sense that Hecht is in conversation with them, asking similar questions about form and representation. It’s this kind of ongoing dialogue that makes painting so exciting. He's almost caressing it into existence.