Gerda 1912

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this drawing, 'Gerda', with pencil, and you can feel the speed and energy in every line. It’s all about process, isn't it? How else could you capture a feeling so directly? Look at the texture he creates with just the pencil strokes. See how the lines vary in thickness and pressure, building up the form? The face is so delicate, while the hair is a storm of marks. The hands are like tangled threads. I think about my own painting, and how a single gesture can change everything. There’s a beautiful ambiguity here. Is she pensive, bored, or maybe a little sad? Kirchner's work reminds me of other expressionist artists, like Edvard Munch, who were also trying to capture the raw emotions of the modern world. It's a conversation across time, and we're all invited to join in.