Posing Movie Star Holding on for Freedom 1991

Thornton Dial made this watercolor and graphite drawing on paper, titled "Posing Movie Star Holding on for Freedom." The fluid washes of color create a dreamlike space, where the figure seems to float. The color palette is muted, almost pastel-like, which softens the impact of the subject. Dial's lines are confident and full of energy, defining the figure with a playful looseness. I am drawn to the red marks which pattern the body in rhythmic arcs, and which seem to give the figure an inner life. This network of marks gives a feeling of vulnerability, making the figure seem both exposed and resilient. Dial reminds me of other artists like Bill Traylor or Forrest Bess who create their own languages and pictorial spaces. Dial invites us to consider the complexities of freedom and representation. The work embraces the messy, unresolved aspects of life and artmaking.