Sheet of Studies (heads) 1968

In this sheet of head studies, Sutherland's lines remind me of a lively rehearsal, a dance of ink and tone conjuring faces that emerge and recede with each glance. I imagine him, back in '68, his hand a seismograph recording the tremors of thought as he coaxes these forms into being. See how the ochre pools around each head, setting them afloat in a golden ether? It’s like they’re bobbing in the artist’s mind. There is a really fascinating one in the middle: It’s bisected down the centre as if seeing both sides of a single thought. Sutherland’s work often felt like an exploration of inner landscapes, and this sheet is no exception. Think of Picasso, but with a touch of British reserve. Each mark is a decision, a negotiation between accident and intention. And, in each of these, there is a conversation between seeing and feeling.