Convoy 1958

Herbert Lawrence Block made this pencil drawing, named ‘Convoy’, probably around 1958. Look at how the figures slog through the swampy waters, their bodies straining against the resistance. You can almost feel the stickiness of the mud. I feel for Block here; there’s this sense of struggle, the kind of persistent effort it takes to wade through… whatever it is. The artist is using the pencil to create shadows which gives the image a dark feeling. What was he thinking? Maybe he felt bogged down by the swamp. The image evokes this sense of persistence in the face of an impossible challenge. Look at the quick marks of the pencil. It reminds me of Philip Guston's nervous lines. This piece speaks to the power of art as a commentary and as a way of working through the sludge of the world. It makes me want to pick up my own pencils and brushes, and start squiggling.