Drawing 25.4.60 1960

Bob Law made this drawing, 25.4.60, in 1960 using what looks like graphite or charcoal. It’s all about the build-up of marks, a real record of process. Looking at the surface, you can see the back-and-forth of Law's hand, layering those strokes to create this dense, almost velvety darkness. It’s not just a flat black, but a field of subtle variations, which is what makes it so interesting, right? See how, in the lower right, the marks are a little looser, more directional? It’s like he’s letting us in on the secret of how the whole thing was made. Law’s drawing reminds me a bit of Ad Reinhardt’s black paintings. Both were interested in pushing the boundaries of what a painting, or in this case a drawing, could be. It’s this kind of focused, almost meditative approach to artmaking that really gets me going. It’s not about answers, but about staying with the questions.