Die Augenstation (Original Title) 1915

Max Beckmann made this drawing, 'Die Augenstation', with graphite, using the bare minimum to give us everything. Look at the scratchy, searching lines! You get the feeling he was thinking through the drawing, not just recording what he saw. It's all about touch, right? You can almost feel the grit of the graphite on the paper, the pressure of the artist's hand. The way he uses line to suggest form is interesting; the figures are all these shaky outlines, but they still have weight. The guy at the front there, with all those scribbled lines around his head, like he's in pain. That little area is a whole world of hurt, all done with a few strokes of a pencil. Beckmann reminds me of Grosz, who also used the bare minimum to give you the most in terms of emotional expression. It’s all about how simple marks on a page can add up to something bigger, something that stays with you.