Figurehead: "Brooks Walker" c. 1938

F.W. Powell made this work, "Figurehead: 'Brooks Walker'," with graphite and watercolor. I love the oddness of it, the way Powell works with a limited palette, but still manages to create something that feels both formal and kind of funky. The graphite gives the figure a solid, almost sculptural presence, while the watercolor adds these little touches of color that just pop – like that pale green tie! The surface is smooth, but you can see the hand of the artist in the subtle gradations of tone, especially in the way the figure seems to emerge from the plinth. There’s this strange, kind of triangular form at the rear of the figure, where the coattails meet the plinth. It is just so odd and yet so visually satisfying. Powell reminds me a bit of Red Grooms, in the sense that both artists use a kind of playful approach to portraiture. It’s this ability to embrace ambiguity, to let the work be both serious and a little bit silly, that makes it so engaging.