Grotesques by Aubrey Beardsley 6 c. 1910s

Aubrey Beardsley made this ink drawing sometime in the 1890s. Look at that line! It’s so assured, so crisp and clean, but also so weird. The shapes he makes, the way he uses the negative space, everything feels just a little bit off, but in a really good way. The subject matter here is also unusual. It seems like a nude, possibly mythical figure playing the flute, but it is crouched next to a decaying tree stump. Beardsley seems to be playing with ideas of decay versus creation. The crisp lines make the image seem clear and ordered, but there is a sense of movement and transformation in the wisps of hair, smoke, or water swirling around the figure. There's a raw, almost childlike quality to Beardsley’s line work, but also a sophisticated understanding of composition and form. It reminds me a little bit of the work of contemporary artists like Tal R, in that they both use simple lines and forms to create images that are both playful and profound. Ultimately, this piece is about embracing ambiguity and celebrating the messy, contradictory nature of life.