Study for "Archangel" 1962

Seymour Lipton made this study for “Archangel” using graphite on paper. You can really feel the energy of Lipton working out the structure, as if he’s wrestling with the form of this winged figure, trying to coax it onto the page. The graphite lines are so raw and immediate, it feels like a conversation between the artist and the sculpture it would become. Look at the way he builds up the shadows with these frantic, scribbled marks. It’s not about perfection, but about the process, the searching. I love the kind of awkwardness of the composition, how the ‘legs’ splay out unevenly, giving it this lopsided, precarious feel. The way Lipton uses such simple materials to evoke something so monumental reminds me of Goya’s dark, brooding sketches. Both artists share this willingness to embrace the messiness and imperfection of the creative process, and it makes their work so alive.