Six Drawings for D.L.W.

I.
There. 2020. Charcoal, pure graphite, water soluble pastels on mixed media paper, 14 x 17 in.

These image descriptions were sourced from participants in a University of Michigan graduate course, Disability Arts and Culture: Speculative Embodiment (Petra Kuppers). Writers: beck mallwiz, Kendra Soler, Kristina Sheneman, Anna, Gwynneth VanLaven, Des Velázquez

There: smeared graphite and pastel over a white background. blueish grey and black some together to form a figure, humanoid and seemingly sitting. the figure looks directly at the viewer, without eyes, and there is an ominous feeling, perhaps on our behalf, as viewers, or perhaps on behalf of the subject. behind them and on top, the background cuts in with horizontal strokes rushing. there are what appear to be finger prints near the head and to the right of the figure and two rounded strokes that might be the hands or knees, somewhere around the figure’s lap.

Forehand, Still Life. 2020. Charcoal, pure graphite, water soluble pastels on mixed media paper, 14 x 17 in.

Forehand, Still Life: White mixed media paper ( this indicates the paper has a rough tooth or texture to the paper) photographed vertically. The top third of this paper contains small speckles of charcoal, graphite, and water soluble pastels. The image lies in the middle and bottom third of the paper. There is a dark circle with loose repetitive strokes in black, gray, and white moving to the left of the image. The charcoal captures the quick movement of the artist and the viewer can see fingerprints in the bottom right corner. A collection of mark making. A charcoal drawing with a range from furious to calm strokes in black with white conte blurring to shades of greys. The lines and shading begin near the bottom right of the page and thrust upward toward the top left. The shape is organic and suggestive of organism in its loose form, but retains visual anonymity as something, and then something-else.

There you go. 2020. Charcoal, pure graphite, pen, water soluble pastels on mixed media paper, 14 x 17 in.

There you go: Swirls of black and grey, a figure, pushing forward, time freeze/overlap: pushing, pushing, forward, forward, taking off, lines extending.

II.

How ‘bout that. 2020. Pen, water soluble pastels, and gouache on mixed media paper, 14 x 17 in.

How ‘bout that: Blue and brown paints create a cameo by framing a dark face on a white background, the blue creating a square shape like a frame for a figure that resembles someone looking over their shoulder. The face is smudgy and the expression is not clear, but dark brown paint and pencil-like scribbles make it look older, with sparse hair, beard, and heavy furrowed eyebrows.

Look at me when I’m talking to you. 2020. Pen, water soluble pastels, and gouache on mixed media paper, 14 x 17 in.

Look at me when I’m talking to you: white background, artwork seemingly centered on page; thin linework including pen strokes that seem as if the artist is moving fluidly without picking up the pen, forming what appears to be a face; red movement for frowning lips, nose facing left of page with a single nostril showing, two dark scribbles appearing as eyes with the leftmost eye a circular space above; the face’s loose lines fall into a more rigid set of line and streaked pastels, meeting almost perfectly at the chin and ear and setting a frame of shoulder and body (moving, arms swaying to sides)

Dad. 2020. Pen, water soluble pastels, and gouache on mixed media paper, 14 x 17 in.

Dad: An off-white background spotted with very light grey strokes, some appearing to be fingerprints. At the center of the image, demanding the most attention, lies a disembodied head of a person who appears to be forced into a solid object, possibly a wall or the ground. The person’s skin is painted a golden brown color in thick, shorter brush strokes. A series of white and grey lines form angles throughout the person’s face to outline eyebrows, eyes, a nose, and teeth. The person’s eyes are painted with black and white colors, with one eye seemingly directed towards the wall / ground and the other looking into a direction beyond the painting. A sharp burst of bright pink lines the person’s lower set of teeth to demarcate a mouth. To the right of the person, three broad lines emerge from the edge of the painting and push into the person’s face. The top two lines are painted the same golden brown color, with the first including the faintest smattering of golden yellow. The second line is a combination of golden yellow and golden brown, with a bright pink underlying the bottom of the line. Finally, the third line is composed of golden yellow and bright pink. The trio of lines seem to represent a kind of force that is aggressively pushing down against the face, keeping them still and unable to release themselves from their position against the wall / ground.

Image Descriptions

These image descriptions were sourced from participants in a University of Michigan graduate course, Disability Arts and Culture: Speculative Embodiment (Petra Kuppers). Writers: beck mallwiz, Kendra Soler, Kristina Sheneman, Anna, Gwynneth VanLaven, Des Velázquez

There: smeared graphite and pastel over a white background. blueish grey and black some together to form a figure, humanoid and seemingly sitting. the figure looks directly at the viewer, without eyes, and there is an ominous feeling, perhaps on our behalf, as viewers, or perhaps on behalf of the subject. behind them and on top, the background cuts in with horizontal strokes rushing. there are what appear to be finger prints near the head and to the right of the figure and two rounded strokes that might be the hands or knees, somewhere around the figure’s lap.

Forehand, Still Life: White mixed media paper ( this indicates the paper has a rough tooth or texture to the paper) photographed vertically. The top third of this paper contains small speckles of charcoal, graphite, and water soluble pastels. The image lies in the middle and bottom third of the paper. There is a dark circle with loose repetitive strokes in black, gray, and white moving to the left of the image. The charcoal captures the quick movement of the artist and the viewer can see fingerprints in the bottom right corner. A collection of mark making. A charcoal drawing with a range from furious to calm strokes in black with white conte blurring to shades of greys. The lines and shading begin near the bottom right of the page and thrust upward toward the top left. The shape is organic and suggestive of organism in its loose form, but retains visual anonymity as something, and then something-else.

There you go: Swirls of black and grey, a figure, pushing forward, time freeze/overlap: pushing, pushing, forward, forward, taking off, lines extending.

How ‘bout that: Blue and brown paints create a cameo by framing a dark face on a white background, the blue creating a square shape like a frame for a figure that resembles someone looking over their shoulder. The face is smudgy and the expression is not clear, but dark brown paint and pencil-like scribbles make it look older, with sparse hair, beard, and heavy furrowed eyebrows.

Look at me when I’m talking to you: white background, artwork seemingly centered on page; thin linework including pen strokes that seem as if the artist is moving fluidly without picking up the pen, forming what appears to be a face; red movement for frowning lips, nose facing left of page with a single nostril showing, two dark scribbles appearing as eyes with the leftmost eye a circular space above; the face’s loose lines fall into a more rigid set of line and streaked pastels, meeting almost perfectly at the chin and ear and setting a frame of shoulder and body (moving, arms swaying to sides)

Dad: An off-white background spotted with very light grey strokes, some appearing to be fingerprints. At the center of the image, demanding the most attention, lies a disembodied head of a person who appears to be forced into a solid object, possibly a wall or the ground. The person’s skin is painted a golden brown color in thick, shorter brush strokes. A series of white and grey lines form angles throughout the person’s face to outline eyebrows, eyes, a nose, and teeth. The person’s eyes are painted with black and white colors, with one eye seemingly directed towards the wall / ground and the other looking into a direction beyond the painting. A sharp burst of bright pink lines the person’s lower set of teeth to demarcate a mouth. To the right of the person, three broad lines emerge from the edge of the painting and push into the person’s face. The top two lines are painted the same golden brown color, with the first including the faintest smattering of golden yellow. The second line is a combination of golden yellow and golden brown, with a bright pink underlying the bottom of the line. Finally, the third line is composed of golden yellow and bright pink. The trio of lines seem to represent a kind of force that is aggressively pushing down against the face, keeping them still and unable to release themselves from their position against the wall / ground.

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