Untitled 1944

Kukryniksy made this ink drawing in 1944 with what seems like a very fine nib, creating tight cross hatching, like a dense swarm of tiny marks. Look how those marks build up the form of the suited figure in the chair, and see how much darker the tone is in the shadow of the chair than across the jacket. The marks are so delicate, but they add up to something quite grotesque! There's a real intensity in the way the texture builds up and describes the surface, a physical presence to the drawing. This is the work of three artists who worked collaboratively and were particularly prolific as political cartoonists. Philip Guston was also interested in cartooning and caricature, although his style was very different he also understood the power of simplified forms to make direct statements. Art is always a conversation.