Study for Woman in Hammock ("Summer Idyll") 1975

Will Barnet made this study for Woman in Hammock, also known as "Summer Idyll," with pencil on paper. What strikes me is the beautiful economy of line, how the simplest marks suggest so much. You can really see the thinking, and the process involved. The texture of the paper peeks through the graphite, giving the drawing a lightness and openness. Look at the way the artist's hand sketched the woman's hand above her head. It's so casual, yet so precise in capturing the gesture of relaxation. And the stripes on her garment? They suggest form and shadow without weighing down the composition. Barnet reminds me a bit of Agnes Martin, in the sense of how both artists use restraint to conjure a mood. Art isn't about saying everything, it's about leaving room for the viewer to bring their own experiences to the table, to fill in the blanks.