March 1998 1998

Kristin Leachman made this drawing in March of 1998. It's a tightly knit pattern of marks, somewhere between scales and feathers, and it looks like it’s been built up through the careful layering of marks with graphite. Up close, you can see how each little shape is made of tiny strokes, all pointing in the same direction. The surface is almost shimmering, because of the way the light hits all those different angles. There's something very satisfying in how Leachman has made each individual mark. Thinking about process, I can’t help but think of Agnes Martin. They both build something out of small gestures, and they both show how meaning can be found in repetition. They share an understanding that art is about embracing ambiguity.