Czóbel Béla Pipázó Vadást 1920 1920

Here's a charcoal drawing on paper, made in 1920 by Bela Czobel. Look at these marks, that hat, the smoking pipe. I can imagine Czobel drawing fast and gesturally, trying to capture a fleeting moment, a mood. He's using charcoal to build up the tonal variations in the face and the clothing of his sitter, and the lines are angular, almost aggressive. I can feel a sense of urgency and a kind of raw honesty in the marks. Is that what the artist was feeling, a kind of frustration or impatience, or was he just in a hurry? This drawing reminds me of the work of other expressionist artists who were exploring the raw and emotional potential of mark-making, and the power of suggestion. Artists are always looking, borrowing, and changing the language of one another's work. What I like about this drawing is its openness, the way it resists easy interpretation. Czobel invites us to bring our own associations and experiences to the work, to participate in the ongoing conversation that is art.