IMAGE:26 2019

Thomas Riesner made this drawing, which measures 30 by 20 centimeters, using what looks like pencil or charcoal, maybe even crayon. The scratchy lines and simple shapes show us the process of making, like the artist is thinking right in front of us. I'm struck by the raw quality of the drawing. The figure, maybe a doctor, is all about the texture, the grayness, like a memory half-erased. The body has these strange openings with eyes. It's not precise, and yet the marks are so deliberate. There's a directness, a kind of awkward honesty that is compelling, like the work of outsider artists such as Martín Ramírez. The figure seems to be making a peace sign while holding a syringe, as if both are acts of care. In the end, this piece reminds us that art doesn't always have to be polished or perfect. Sometimes, it's the imperfect, the raw, the unfinished that speaks to us most.