Untitled 1-24-71 [study for "tattoo" book] 1971

This study on paper by James McCracken Jr. from 1971 is crawling with death and bugs. It's like a naturalist's sketchbook gone goth, a study for a tattoo book, maybe? Imagine the artist's hand, how it moved across the paper, confidently outlining these creepy crawlies and skulls with a sense of playful precision. What was McCracken thinking as he rendered each tiny leg and menacing grin? Was he reveling in the macabre, or just fascinated by the intricate details of life and death? The stark black ink on white paper gives it this raw, immediate feeling, like a page ripped from a secret grimoire. The composition feels almost like a swarm, or a spill, suggesting the impermanence of life. It puts me in mind of other artists who have been drawn to the darker side of the imagination, like Goya or Kiki Smith. Artists are always in conversation, aren't they? Picking up where others left off, adding their own twist to the story. It's morbid, but very cool.