Untitled (Variations around La Poupée) 1934

Hans Bellmer made this untitled drawing, Variations around La Poupée, with graphite on paper. Looking at it, you can see Bellmer's approach to artmaking as a real process, a kind of searching. It’s all about the line here; see how they build the form, searching and changing direction, like a stream of consciousness. The graphite is applied with varying pressure, creating a range of tones, from light to dark, adding depth and volume to the figure. The texture of the paper shows through, reminding us of the physical act of drawing. Notice the repeated brick motif throughout; the wall creates a sense of enclosure, maybe even claustrophobia. In the upper left corner, the hand morphs into the wall, blurring the boundary between body and architecture. Bellmer’s work reminds me of Louise Bourgeois, especially in their shared interest in the body and its relationship to psychological states. Just like Bourgeois, Bellmer invites us to embrace ambiguity, to question fixed meanings, and to find our own way into the artwork.