Sideshow

Abe Blashko made this image, Sideshow, with lithographic crayon on paper. Look at the marks, the pressure used to apply the crayon, the rhythm of the strokes. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the surface, figuring out the forms as they go. There is a kind of immediacy and intimacy to this process, a directness that comes from the artist working with their hand, directly on the stone. The grainy texture and the depth of tone create a sense of drama, of something about to unfold. The textures aren't labored over or overworked, just there, as if it happened by accident. Like a Cy Twombly piece, the image is immediate, with the confidence to leave the marks exposed, revealing the process of its making. It embraces the beauty of imperfection, suggesting the value of spontaneity and intuition.