Interior II 1961

William Brice made this drawing, Interior II, at some point, on what looks like paper. I love the graphic quality of this drawing, the expressive scribbles, and the darks and lights. What a mood! You can almost feel the artist circling around his subject. I can imagine Brice drawing, squinting, erasing, maybe even mumbling to himself as he worked. The figure is draped in a floral shawl or blanket which is lightly but carefully rendered with spiraling marks. The dark shadows, the empty space around the figure, and the unfinished quality of the composition makes me think about Brice’s other work, particularly his more abstract paintings. It’s as though he is using the drawing as a way to map out a series of possible forms and then, through a process of trial and error, arriving at a composition that feels both accidental and inevitable. It reminds me of my own process, and the way the conversation across drawings and paintings can bring something new into being.