Totally Nude 1984

Steven Kramer created this rather large drawing with colored pencils. Looking at it, I can imagine him layering and blending with those pencils, pushing and pulling to get that hazy, dreamlike quality. I wonder what Kramer was thinking when he made this drawing. Was he trying to capture a mood, a memory, a sensation? I see all these floating motifs --musical notes and hands, keyboard, the word ITC, and that skeleton like an x-ray -- all arranged around a nude. I like that the skeleton is semi-visible and covered in clothes. I get a sense that Kramer had a lot of fun here, playing with perspective and form. Like other artists, Kramer seems to be engaged in an ongoing conversation with art history. It reminds me of other artists' practices, like Red Grooms or even Jim Nutt. They play with bold lines and distorted figures. It's like they're all winking at each other across time. Each artist offering their unique vision. It's a constant exchange of ideas.