Studie af ask 1906 - 1910

Niels Larsen Stevns made this study of ash with a pencil, though we don't know exactly when. What interests me here is how the marks are laid down to build an understanding of form and space. It's all about process. The texture of the paper is allowed to come through in the sketch, with a slightly toothy surface. The pencil lines are not overworked; they have an air of lightness and transparency that is pleasing. Look at the way the stem of the plant curves and thickens near the bottom, and how Larsen Stevns captures this with a few simple strokes. This communicates the weight of the plant and its connection to the earth. This reminds me of some of the early botanical studies by Hilma af Klint, where close observation of nature becomes a springboard for abstraction and otherworldly explorations. Art is an ongoing conversation, right?