Petroglyph 1935 - 1942

Lala Eve Rivol made this drawing, called "Petroglyph," on paper, using colored pencils. I see a series of compartments, each containing figures that seem to emerge from an ancient symbolic language. You can see that the artist is drawing from a well of imagery that feels very old, like the first marks of communication, or children's book illustrations. It's simple, like what a child might draw, but the composition creates a much more formal, codified presence, almost scientific. What's also interesting is how the artist used color; red and black that create a kind of earthy vibrancy. I wonder if Rivol was thinking about memory and the way images can carry meaning across generations. It reminds me that artists are always in conversation, borrowing, and remixing ideas. It’s a beautiful mystery, this connection between past and present, seen and unseen.