17507 („Alma ich bin sehr gesund …“) 1932

This curious and colorful drawing was made by John Elsas at an unknown date, and with what looks like pen and ink, on paper. There's something so direct about the way the artist has made these marks that it feels deeply personal. Look at the way the figures are rendered in a simple, almost childlike style. The texture of the ink, especially in the green bodies, gives them a vibrant, energetic quality. The lines are so immediate, it's as if Elsas wanted to capture a fleeting moment or feeling. The two figures reaching for one another, it’s touching. It reminds me a bit of some of the playful, graphic qualities I see in the work of someone like Red Grooms. Both artists share this incredible ability to make complex emotions accessible and immediate, through a visual language that is both sophisticated and disarmingly simple. It’s a good reminder that art is always a conversation, building on what came before, and always open to new interpretations.