Blasted Figure 1962

Robert Mallary made this potent image with what looks like a big brushstroke in black ink. I imagine him, in front of a sheet of paper, maybe on the floor, really going for it, letting the gesture come from somewhere deep inside. It's interesting how this single mark manages to convey so much energy and feeling. You can almost see the artist’s hand moving, the pressure changing as they create this "Blasted Figure.” There’s a rawness to it, a directness. It reminds me of some of the action painters, like Franz Kline, who were also interested in the expressive possibilities of black and white and the drama of the single gesture. Artists are always looking at each other, riffing off one another’s ideas, and pushing the boundaries of what painting can do.