Akrobat in der Brücke, Detail (Backbend, Detail) [p. 17] 

Max Beckmann sketched this acrobatic figure on paper, using graphite, sometime in his career between 1884 and 1950. The choice of graphite as a medium allows for a range of expression, from the barest whisper of a line to more emphatic marks. Notice how the artist has built up the figure and architectural elements, through layers of overlapping strokes. This is a fast way to create an image, and suggests the fleeting quality of a performance captured in time. Paper itself is also critical here. It is the portable ground on which many other more complex works will be built. In the studio, and out in the world, it gives artists the opportunity to observe closely. This work is, in effect, an observation of labor. The acrobat makes a spectacle out of physicality, and the artist makes a lasting record. Looking closely at materials and making, we can appreciate the labor of both the performer and the artist.