Niobid II 1965

Leon Golub made this drawing, Niobid II, using brush and ink. It’s all about the push and pull of dark and light, and how the brushstrokes themselves create the form. Looking at this piece, I’m struck by the way the ink sort of clumps and bleeds into the paper. You can almost feel the artist wrestling with the materials, trying to get the ink to do what he wants, but also letting it do its own thing. See how some strokes are thick and bold, while others are thin and wispy? It's a real dance between control and chance. The density of the marks creates a real sense of tension in the piece, like something’s about to burst. Golub’s rough, raw style reminds me a little of Francis Bacon, in the sense that both artists aren’t afraid to show the messy, imperfect side of being human, and the ambiguity of experience.