Two Seated Figures and Fish c. 1960s

Louis Lozowick made this drawing, 'Two Seated Figures and Fish', with graphite on paper. The lines are so simple, so clear – it’s like he’s thinking out loud, letting us see how the drawing emerges. Look at the texture of the graphite against the paper, it's almost chalky. The figures aren’t really figures, but rather geometric shapes, huddled together. They remind me of Agnes Martin's grids – the same attention to line and form – it's like each one is a little experiment. Then there’s the fish, floating to the side, like an afterthought, an image that seems to belong to another realm. The fish is so buoyant, with its single eye, that it reminds me of work by Paul Klee. What I love about a drawing like this is that Lozowick leaves it open, allowing us to fill in the blanks. It’s this unfinished quality that makes it feel so alive.