Fifrelin 1929

James Ensor made this drawing called "Fifrelin" with pencil on paper, and what strikes me is its quiet strangeness. The marks are gentle, almost hesitant, creating a figure that seems to emerge from a dream. The light yellow palette, punctuated by these soft red hearts, feels both whimsical and a little melancholic. It's like Ensor is thinking aloud, letting the image unfold through the act of drawing. Look closely at the way the lines create the costume. They are tentative and slightly unfinished. It reminds me that art isn't about perfection, but about the process of searching, of finding form through a series of marks. Ensor's drawing feels like a dance between control and chance, a glimpse into the artist's mind as he works out the shape of his imagination. This drawing speaks to the strange beauty that can emerge when we embrace uncertainty. This feels like a drawing by Alfred Jarry, or maybe even a proto Paul McCarthy, those kinds of sensibilities.