The Edge of Chaos : Entropy II 2019

Sami Gattoufi made this piece, The Edge of Chaos: Entropy II, using lines that almost seem to melt on the canvas. It's all about the process, right? How a simple line can define so much, or maybe undefine it. The texture, if you can call it that, is in the stark contrast of the black lines against the raw canvas. The lines themselves aren't precious; they waver and wobble, giving a sense of urgency, like the artist was chasing a fleeting thought. Look at how the lines around the shoulders turn into these fluid, almost liquid shapes, like the figure is dissolving. It reminds me of some of Picasso's line drawings, but with a raw, punk energy all its own. It’s like Gattoufi is saying, "Here's a portrait, but also, it's just a bunch of lines. Make of it what you will." And I think that's the beauty of it, the ambiguity, the space for our own interpretations.