Untitled (After Nature: Tree) 1959

This drawing of a tree, by Charlotte Posenenske, probably began with a simple observation, a walk in the park maybe, and then this quick notation happened. I can imagine Posenenske standing there, block of pastel in hand, making fast marks of blue and brown. It’s like she’s feeling for the structure, the bare bones of the tree. The pressure of the pastel, the way it crumbles and catches on the paper, these are all deliberate choices, right? Like, how much to commit, how much to leave open. And those lines, they’re not just describing branches; they’re also about energy, movement, life force. I keep thinking about Agnes Martin, another artist interested in simplifying form. There’s something so generous about this drawing, this willingness to share a moment of seeing. Artists are always looking, always learning from each other, across time and space. Posenenske, Martin – they’re all part of this big, ongoing conversation.