Strata #51 1997

Susan Schwalb created 'Strata #51,' an intimate drawing, using silverpoint—a delicate technique that involves drawing with a silver stylus on prepared paper. I can imagine Schwalb, poised with her stylus, carefully building up these horizontal lines. There’s such a meditative quality to the repetition, a kind of devotion to the act of mark-making. The varying shades of gray, from almost-white to deeper, metallic hues, create a subtle rhythm across the surface. I wonder if she was thinking about Agnes Martin, who used similar lines to invoke feelings of calmness and serenity. But unlike Martin’s expansive grids, Schwalb’s piece feels more like a private, whispered conversation. The very act of drawing becomes a way of exploring her inner landscape. Painters are always in dialogue, riffing off each other's ideas across time. This piece is an invitation to slow down and consider the quiet power of simple gestures, opening up space for reflection.