Convoy 1958

Herbert Lawrence Block, or Herblock, made this drawing called Convoy sometime in the mid-twentieth century using graphite on paper. The mark-making here is so confident and expressive, like a jazz solo. You can sense the artist’s hand moving quickly, deciding as he goes. It’s all about the process, that urgent need to get the idea down. The textures and tones are really interesting. It's just graphite, but look how he creates depth with simple shading, darker for the water, lighter for the sky. There's a real physicality to it, like you can feel the swampy water squishing between your toes. Check out the gnarled branches of the dead tree in the background. See how those quick, scribbly lines convey so much with so little? It's like a visual shorthand, but it totally works. Herblock reminds me a little of Kathe Kollwitz, actually, in his ability to use simple means to pack a real emotional punch. Both artists invite us to look critically at the world around us, even when that world is messy and uncertain.