Studio Window with curtains 2005

Avigdor Arikha made this pastel drawing of his studio, it looks like a space he knew intimately. The drawing is built up of many marks made with soft, waxy pastels. Close up, you can see the subtle layering of color; the blue of the sky bleeding into the grey of the walls, and the dusty black of the curtains. The strokes of pastel build up the image, not with any hard outlines, but through a mass of tiny gestures, creating the impression of light, and shadow. It's all very textural, like looking through frosted glass. The easel to the right of the window feels as if it’s drawn in one breath, and the objects on the table in the foreground are roughly sketched, they almost vibrate with energy. The whole drawing captures a personal atmosphere, so it almost feels like we are there in the room with him. Looking at this drawing, I can’t help but think of Giorgio Morandi, and his still-life paintings; a similar feeling for the everyday, and the personal, built up from a simple arrangement of objects. For me, the most powerful art always invites multiple readings, it is an open invitation to engage, to feel, and to think.