Leg and Hand 1938

Vajda Lajos made this drawing, Leg and Hand, with what looks like charcoal on paper. It's all about the process, seeing how the hand moves, almost like automatic drawing. The marks are so clear, aren't they? Thin lines, wobbly shapes. You can almost feel the artist's hand as it moved across the page. Look at the way the lines overlap and intersect, creating a sense of depth and confusion. There is an area in the centre where so many lines meet it almost looks like a flame. The textures created by the charcoal give it a rough, unfinished quality. It's not trying to be perfect, which I love. It reminds me a little of the surrealist drawings of André Masson, but with its own strange, personal twist. Art is just a conversation, after all, constantly echoing and transforming. It's open to anything, always in process.