Untitled 

Editor: This "Untitled" drawing by Graca Morais is made using pastels. It has such a quiet, intimate feel to it. I'm especially drawn to the overlapping of the two figures and the soft texture achieved through the pastels. How would you interpret this work? Curator: The figures are certainly central to this drawing. Let’s examine their relationship through line and form. Notice the predominance of soft, broken lines, particularly in the hair and contours of the faces. What effect does this have on the overall composition? Editor: It creates a sense of fragility and incompleteness, maybe even a kind of emotional vulnerability? The way the lines are smudged adds to that softness. Curator: Precisely. Furthermore, consider the limited palette – mainly earth tones and blacks. This choice contributes to a unified surface, emphasizing the interplay of light and shadow. Is there any sense of depth? How is the medium used to achieve that effect? Editor: Not really depth as the background is indistinct. The pressure used seems consistent. So maybe it emphasizes a flattened, more immediate engagement with the figures? Curator: A plausible reading. Now consider, without distinct backgrounds or identifying markers, how does the artwork challenge or affirm the traditions of portraiture through pure form and texture? Editor: It subverts traditional portraiture by moving away from capturing a likeness towards evoking a feeling through purely formal elements. Curator: Exactly! Seeing how line, color, and form are mobilized offers great potential into understanding visual language. Editor: I see! It is useful to really focus on each visual choice like this.