End of Clue 1940

Shirley Staschen made this drawing, End of Clue, using graphite. The texture is almost like velvet, created through the subtlest gradations of tone. There’s a figure holding court between inner and outer worlds. She stands in a portal, flanked by classical columns. The scene on the left shows a landscape with mountains and a city, all rendered with dreamlike precision. And then on the right, an abstract space filled with stars. She seems to be conjuring these surreal, ghostlike forms, like she’s knitting them into being. It reminds me of Hilma af Klint. Staschen, like Klint, seems to be using art to explore metaphysical dimensions. Both artists use symbolic language and abstract forms to express spiritual concepts, creating art that invites viewers to contemplate the mysteries of existence. There is no single meaning; instead, the drawing is an invitation to dream.