Self Portrait 1967

Vilen Barsky made this self portrait drawing with what looks like a graphite stick, but I don’t know when. The lines aren’t interested in outlining as much as they’re interested in locating the topography of his face. Look at the way the lines both build up to describe his face and also become this kind of abstract architecture, particularly in the hair! The lines are kind of relentless, aren’t they? They remind me of when I’m working and can’t quite get something right, and I just keep circling it, trying to trap it, figure it out. It’s a beautiful thing to see that searching rendered visible. Barsky’s lines make me think of Guston, but maybe a Guston that's more internal, more focused on the act of seeing than on external narratives. It’s like he’s showing us how he sees himself, not just what he sees. And isn't that what we all want, to be seen for who we are, not just what we look like?