Untitled 1969

This "Untitled" drawing was made by George Bunker in 1964, using what looks like pastel or crayon on paper. I love the directness of this piece. There's something really exciting about seeing the artist work through the image-making process in plain sight. The colours are really interesting, a kind of muted palette of browns, purples and greens. The marks are applied in soft layers and hatching, but they aren't blended together, giving the image a kind of fractured feel. It’s as though the image is breaking apart even as its being created. Take a look at how Bunker uses lines to build up the forms of the trees and foliage. It’s not so much about depicting what's there, but about creating a sense of movement and energy. It reminds me a little of Milton Avery, but with a slightly more anxious edge. Like Avery, Bunker isn’t really interested in fixed meanings, but in opening up a space for interpretation and invention.