Sprawled Figure 1962

Robert Mallary made this drawing called “Sprawled Figure” using ink on paper. It’s all about the drama of a single color, black, pulled across a creamy white ground. You can almost feel the artist’s hand, how he quickly dragged the brush to make a gestural mark. The ink is dense and opaque. It’s not blended, each stroke stands alone like an independent clause. The texture comes alive where the ink pools and dries slightly unevenly. Look at how Mallary made the mark on the right side of the figure, its lines are thick, bold and almost aggressive. It gives a feeling of movement, speed, or even violence. Mallary seems to want to push the limits of what a simple medium like ink can do. Think of Franz Kline, how he used black and white to create these monumental forms, and made every mark count. It’s about exploring the endless possibilities within a limited frame.