Untitled (Automatic Drawing) 1954

Wolfgang Paalen made this "Untitled (Automatic Drawing)" probably with ink on paper and a sense of freedom. The palette is simple: black on white. The marks feel so uninhibited. It’s like watching someone think on paper. The ink here is applied with varying pressure, giving us thick, confident lines and wispy, almost hesitant strokes. See how the composition is built with a combination of curved lines and straight, sharp dashes? I wonder if he used a brush or a pen, and whether he paused between each mark. It’s as if he’s trying to capture something just out of reach, a fleeting image or sensation. That cross hatching, like a painterly tic, gives a sense of barely controlled energy. It makes me think of Cy Twombly, but with a darker, more urgent feel. It’s a reminder that art isn’t always about answers; sometimes, it’s about the questions we ask, and the process of asking them.