Sirene 1947

Enrico Prampolini built up this striking portrait of a woman with broad strokes of coloured pencil. Look at that yellow which shades the face, punctuated by pink and red, so immediate. I imagine Prampolini standing before this piece, maybe taking it up again and again over the course of days, weeks, and returning to it with fresh eyes. I’m thinking about how the process of drawing is a site of inquiry for both the artist and for us, who are viewing it now. The pencil creates a rough texture, a kind of topography, that shapes how we see the face. That single blue eye, it seems to see right through you. I love the way different forms of drawing and painting offer different ways of seeing, thinking, and feeling. The Futurists were fascinated by machines and speed and, here, the vigorous pencil marks seem to speak of velocity and energy, of a world in motion. Artists are always in conversation, cross-pollinating ideas and inspiring each other. And art itself is embodied expression, open to ambiguity. What do you see?