Listening Figures 1959

Rico Lebrun made this drawing, Listening Figures, on paper with ink and wash. The lines, aren't they great? So alive, they seem to tremble, all moving at once. Notice how the ink pools and bleeds at the edges, giving the figures a soft, yielding quality, which contrasts nicely with the sharpness of the lines. Let your eyes follow the darkest wash of ink as it drips downward, anchoring the figures, it's almost violent. I love how Lebrun embraces accidents, letting the ink do its thing. It’s about so much more than just depiction; it's about the body's vulnerability. You know, this reminds me a little of some of Goya’s darker works. Lebrun and Goya both understand that art isn’t just about showing the world as it is, but also about revealing the raw, messy, and sometimes painful truths that lie beneath the surface.