Vajda Lajos Rákmaszk 1939 1939

Vajda Lajos drew this ink drawing, titled Rákmaszk, in 1939; he seems to have found the image in a magazine and then made his own version. The repetitive, almost obsessive mark-making reminds me of artists like Madge Gill or Adolf Wölfli. It's as if the act of drawing becomes a form of meditation, a way to tap into some deeper level of consciousness. The marks are not only descriptive, but also textural, creating a surface that seems to vibrate with energy. Check out the lower right-hand corner, those teeth! The lines there are so precise and deliberate, yet they also have a kind of looseness, as if Vajda is trying to capture the essence of something rather than its exact appearance. It feels very personal. Vajda only lived a few years after making this drawing, so, thinking about his life, this piece feels both vulnerable and powerful.