Head of March 1951

Milton Avery made this work, "Head of March," with what looks like ink on paper, and I can see the touch of the maker in the way he applied it to the sheet. He's built up the blacks of the hair in these chalky, crumbly marks, and the off-white paper peeks through. The funny thing is, it's the negative space that really defines the image. That long, angular sweep of the neck and jaw, the way the nose almost disappears. Avery's left the face so bare, so open, that it feels more like a suggestion of a portrait than a finished picture. Avery’s economical style, it reminds me a little of Matisse, who was also great at doing the most with the least. These guys know that sometimes what you leave out is just as important as what you put in. It’s not about perfection, it’s about feeling. It’s about opening up a space where things can breathe.