Study for "Steam" 1969

Robert Morris made this Study for "Steam" with graphite on paper. It’s all about process. You can almost see him thinking, scribbling, working out the mechanics of making something invisible visible. I love how the drawing is both precise – look at those detailed cross-sections of the nozzle – and totally free, almost chaotic, in the depiction of the "Steam Cloud" itself. See how the scribbled lines create this ephemeral shape, a cloud that's there and not there at the same time? It reminds me a bit of Cy Twombly’s work, that same sense of energy and movement captured in a few simple lines. It's fascinating to see an artist grappling with something as intangible as steam, trying to give it form. It’s a reminder that art isn’t just about the finished product, it’s about the journey, the exploration, the conversation between the artist and the material.