Untitled (Jewelry Series) 1976

Jay DeFeo made this untitled work from the Jewelry Series, most likely with graphite, charcoal, and maybe some gouache. There's something so compelling about the way she just dives right in. It's all about the process, isn’t it? I love the material quality here. The surface has this ghostly, almost x-ray-like feel. You can see the smudging and erasing, that’s how she built the form; it’s about making something, then taking it away. It’s like she's showing us her working-through. That central form – is it a shield, a shell, or a piece of jewelry? It feels massive and delicate all at once. There's a real tension between the bold strokes and the soft, hazy background. This reminds me of some of Philip Guston's later, more abstract stuff. DeFeo, like Guston, isn't afraid to leave the mess in. It’s not about perfection, it’s about the journey of making.