Group of trees c. 1913

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this study of a ‘Group of Trees’ with graphite on paper. It’s all about process, about finding the form, and discovering where the image leads. Look at the energy in those marks! They don't so much describe as enact the idea of a tree, a clump of trees, even a whole landscape. It's all there in potential. The texture of the graphite is almost velvety, a soft grey fuzz of lines that suggest the volume of foliage. Notice how individual marks flicker and dance, giving a sense of movement and life. The trunk on the lower left is only a few lines, quickly drawn, but they hold the ground, anchoring the whole image. That darkness gives the work its tension and release. For me, this reminds me of Twombly, who made mark making his main subject. It’s this ongoing conversation with artists across time. There are no fixed rules, just a constant reimagining.