Untitled 1968

Seymour Lipton made this Untitled sketch in 1968, using what looks like graphite on paper. What strikes me is the artist’s commitment to process. You can see the marks, the starts and stops, the changes in direction. The texture of the graphite is also really present, like a conversation with the material itself. The composition feels tense but balanced, like a machine grinding to a halt, or perhaps just about to spring into action. Look at how the lines build up on the left-hand side to create a dark mass. This contrasts with the simple outline of the geometric form on the right. This piece reminds me of some of the drawings of Guston, where the subject matter is reduced to a set of repeated forms, but each mark is allowed to retain its own unique character. This approach embraces ambiguity, inviting us to participate in the act of meaning-making.