Untitled c. 1969

This untitled charcoal drawing on paper was made by George Bunker. It's a flurry of marks, a real dance of charcoal across the page. You can sense Bunker feeling his way through the landscape, not trying to copy it, but more like trying to channel its energy. Look at how the charcoal smudges and bleeds in places, creating these soft, hazy areas. Then, BAM! there are these sharp, decisive lines that cut through the haze. It's like he's wrestling with the image, trying to pin it down, but also letting it breathe and evolve. There's one particular spot, right near the top, where the charcoal is really built up, thick and dark. It almost looks like a little storm cloud brewing. And from there, these tendrils of charcoal reach out, connecting to other parts of the drawing, like a hidden network. You could see someone like Guston doing something similar. Ultimately, it's this back and forth, between control and chaos, that makes it so alive.