Guitar and Profile 1924

André Masson made this drawing, Guitar and Profile, with pencil on paper. I think I get what Masson’s doing here. He’s not trying to trick us or wow us with illusion, he’s asking us to think about how the mind jumps between associations and ideas. The drawing is delicate and it leaves a lot of space for the eye to wander. The guitar is rendered in a way that emphasizes its geometric shapes rather than its musical qualities. It is like he’s saying, "Hey, it’s just a shape”. And the profile of a face is ghostly, barely there. You might miss it if you’re not paying attention. Masson's playing with this idea of seeing and not seeing, knowing and not knowing. It’s almost like he's showing us how thoughts and memories flicker in and out of our consciousness. He’s got a light touch. Thinking about Masson makes me think about Picasso and Braque. They all were in conversation with each other. Like friends chatting about what a painting is.