Untitled 2-4-71 [study for "tattoo" book] 1971

James McCracken Jr. made this 'Untitled 2-4-71' on paper, and you can tell it's all about process. The skulls and bones, drawn with thick black lines, feel immediate. It's like he's sketching out ideas, trying different arrangements. The black ink against the stark white paper creates a strong contrast. The ink looks laid down quickly, not fussy or precise. Notice the variation in the line thickness, how the ink bleeds a little into the paper. It's a reminder of the hand that made it, the simple tools, the human fallibility. There's a raw, almost punk-like quality to it. The largest motif, a totem-like stack of skulls, almost resembles a cartoon character. It reminds me a little of some of Philip Guston's later works, in the way they embrace a kind of dark humor and directness. But McCracken’s piece has its own unique, slightly unsettling charm. It's not about perfection; it's about exploration.