Growth Patterns 1984

Mark Kostabi made this drawing called Growth Patterns on paper, sometime after 1960, in ink. I love the stark contrast between the black and white, it feels graphic and raw, like a freshly printed zine, or the cover of a punk rock album. The ink is applied in bold, confident strokes, creating dynamic patterns and textures. You can almost feel the scratch of the pen on the paper, the pressure of the artist's hand. Notice the figure on the left, wielding a hammer, his form dissolving into a flurry of lines – it reminds me of a charcoal drawing by William Kentridge. But then, everything kind of blooms in the middle with this figure holding a potted plant. It's a crazy contrast, and that's what makes this piece so compelling. It feels both chaotic and deliberate, a testament to the messy, unpredictable nature of growth.