Olga Hirshhorn 1973

Larry Rivers made this drawing, Olga Hirshhorn, out of graphite on paper, sometime around Christmas ‘73, as a gift. The thing that grabs me right away is the way Rivers fearlessly lets the lines stand alone. There's a beautiful vulnerability in the sketch-like quality of the piece. The physical aspect of the work, the graphite on paper, is so immediate, you can almost feel the pressure of Rivers' hand as he worked. The lines are confident, yet delicate, capturing Olga's profile with a tender simplicity. Look at the way he suggests the form of her hair with these swirling, almost abstract lines. It’s like he’s thinking aloud with his pencil, letting us in on the process of seeing and representing. Rivers has always been an interesting figure to me, his willingness to play with form and representation reminds me of Picabia, but with a warmth, a generosity of spirit that’s all his own. Art isn't about answers, but about embracing ambiguity, about celebrating the endless possibilities of seeing.