Untitled 1990

Susan Rothenberg made this untitled drawing, using charcoal to explore the human figure. Rothenberg came of age as an artist during the feminist movement of the 1970's, a time when women artists were actively challenging the male-dominated art world. The image confronts us with a stark and somewhat spectral figure; the drawing's immediacy and rawness cut against conventional representations of the body. Her gestural style, characterized by loose lines and fragmented forms, seems to mirror a struggle with identity. The figure's clasped hands and ambiguous stance evoke a sense of vulnerability, but also resilience. Rothenberg once said, “I wanted to make paintings where the image declared itself all at once.” This directness can be seen in her challenge of traditional painting styles as a search to represent an authentic sense of self.