Untitled (Abstract) 1937

This abstract piece was made by Charles G. Shaw, we’re not sure when, and it’s done with ink on paper. What strikes me is how Shaw has used the ink not just to define shapes, but to create movement. Look closely, and you'll notice how the ink varies from dense, solid strokes to delicate splatters. The contrast is key, it’s almost calligraphic and gives the work a sense of rhythm, like musical notation. The shapes are angular and sharp. It’s like he’s captured a fleeting moment, a dance of forms suspended in time. I keep looking at the top of the piece, at those drips of ink, falling almost like tears. It feels like a cousin of work by someone like Franz Kline, but there’s something so intimate and playful about this particular piece. For me, this work is a reminder that abstraction isn't about escaping reality, but about finding new ways to experience it.