Methods of Destruction 1941

Keith Vaughn made this sepia drawing, titled 'Methods of Destruction,' with ink wash, sometime during his career. Look at the way the ink is applied; it’s almost like a stain, bleeding into the paper, creating soft edges and ambiguous forms. It feels immediate, process driven. The bodies hanging here are built up from washes of brown ink. There are very few outlines, but the light describes the forms; see how the washes on the bodies build up to create volume and shadow. Notice the way the figures and structures overlap, creating a shallow space where everything is pushed forward to the picture plane. The drawing is both immediate and ambiguous, allowing the viewer to project their own interpretations. Vaughn, like his contemporary Francis Bacon, was influenced by Surrealism and often addressed themes of alienation and the darker aspects of human nature, leaving us with an unsettling and enduring image of human suffering.