Moving Towards Fire 1983

Betty Goodwin made this drawing, Moving Towards Fire, with pastel and charcoal on vellum. The choice of materials here is key. Vellum, traditionally made from animal skin, gives the drawing a translucent quality, allowing the charcoal and pastel to glow from within. Goodwin's technique involves layering these materials, building up depth and texture. You can see the intense labor in the cross-hatching and smudging that defines the figure’s form. The figure itself seems caught between states, suspended in a wash of pale color, its limbs rendered in fiery hues. The effect is both visceral and ethereal, suggesting vulnerability. By combining these materials and working them so intensively, Goodwin elevates the simple act of drawing into a powerful statement about the human condition. She challenges us to reconsider how we value both material and physical effort in art.