Singleton c. 1920

This is Abraham F. Levinson's drawing 'Singleton', made with what looks like graphite on paper. The artist has taken a line for a walk around the page, and created a character out of almost nothing. Look at the way the lines wobble and vary in tone as they describe the figure; see how lightly he's touched the page in places, and how dark he's gone in others, especially in the lower part of the drawing, where the figure's legs are crossed. It’s like he’s drawn the whole thing without taking the pencil off the page, and the weight of his hand has changed as he's gone. I love the way the figure is so economical, so reduced, and yet the posture somehow suggests a whole world of emotion. You could see connections to the work of someone like Philip Guston, who similarly found ways to get so much out of such simple means, and whose work also balances seriousness and humor in really affecting ways. Ultimately, it’s up to you to bring your own story to the work.