Sacred Light c. 1930s

Carl Hoeckner made "Sacred Light" with pencil and crayon, and you can feel the way the marks are made slowly and thoughtfully. It's like he's meditating with the drawing, building up the darks to reveal the luminous figure within. Looking at this work, I'm drawn to how Hoeckner uses tone and texture. The softness of the crayon contrasts with the sharper lines of the pencil, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere. It is almost gothic, in the way the light appears in contrast to the heavily worked darks. There is a real sense of physicality, with layers of mark making creating a palpable surface. The marks are a little like the graphic work of Odilon Redon, in their sensitivity and slightly morbid sensibility. Ultimately, art's not about having all the answers; it's about the questions we ask and the connections we make along the way.