Head 1961

Misch Kohn made this lithograph called ‘Head’ at some point in his career. Look at the way he’s built the image out of blotches, smudges, and drips: it's like he let the ink do some of the work. The whole surface seems to breathe. The texture of the paper comes through, making the darks even darker. In places the ink is so thin, it feels like a memory of a line, rather than a line itself. Then in other places, like along the right side of the head, the ink is thick and juicy, almost sculptural. Notice the way the artist built up the nose out of blurry shapes – it’s kind of like a Rorschach test, isn’t it? Kohn's print reminds me of work by Philip Guston, especially those late-career paintings that are kind of cartoonish, but also deeply serious. Art is always an ongoing conversation, and Kohn’s ‘Head’ is a fascinating contribution, wouldn’t you say?