Female Profile 1960

Vilen Barsky made this monochrome painting of a woman's profile sometime in the 20th century. It’s a piece that celebrates the pure joy of mark-making. The background is worked with broad, sweeping strokes. The marks are soft, yet purposeful, defining her features with a sense of immediacy, a kind of urgency. The heavy black outlines and blocks of tone give a sense of solidity and monumentality. I love how the darks and lights chase each other across the surface. The way Barsky renders the eye, the line not quite meeting, leaving a sliver of white, is full of energy. The overall effect is direct and honest. Barsky’s work has a naive quality, a kind of pared-down simplicity and expressiveness of someone like Bill Traylor. But it’s also got a knowing sophistication, a real command of composition and form. It shows us that art can be both heartfelt and smart, simple and complex, all at the same time.