Faces - Triptych [right half] 1961

Aubrey Schwartz made this print, part of the 'Faces - Triptych', using what looks like lithographic crayon to build up soft but intense blacks. The method feels like it could be quite immediate. The face looms out of the darkness, a scream perhaps? Or maybe a yawn? What I love is how Schwartz uses the crayon, smudging and blending to create the form. See around the mouth and eyes, where the crayon is almost scrubbed into the paper. These marks aren’t just descriptive; they’re emotional. The texture of the crayon gives the face a vulnerability, like skin stretched thin. It reminds me of some of Munch’s more raw and graphic works, especially in the way the figure emerges from, or is consumed by the black void behind. It’s a powerful piece that captures a raw nerve, but leaves enough space for us to bring our own interpretations to the surface.