Stance 2016

Soey Milk made this drawing, titled 'Stance', with graphite, carefully building up the tones and textures. I’m thinking about how it must have felt to create something so precise, so controlled! When I’m working, I have to remind myself to just let go, but here, there's this incredible dedication. Just look at how she's rendered the folds and the patterns of the fabric. And the fall of light across the figure, that’s some serious observation skills. The tonal range in this drawing, it’s almost photographic, yet it's so clearly hand-made. The model’s pose, with her head tilted down, exudes a sense of introspection. Milk has managed to capture a transient moment, turning it into something still and permanent. I can’t help but think of other artists who have used a monochromatic palette to great effect, like, say, Jasper Johns, but Milk brings a hyperreal sensibility to her work.