Red Queen and Samuel 1962

Wesley Chamberlin's Red Queen and Samuel is made with frantic, layered marks, building up an image piece by piece. It's like he's feeling his way through the dark. Look at the way the lines gather, thicken, and then thin out, creating a sense of movement and texture. The figure is rendered with so much energy it seems about to burst off the page. I love how Chamberlin doesn't smooth things over or hide the process. You can see the struggle, the searching. The dark smudges at the base of the figure contrast with the flurry of lighter marks on the upper torso, suggesting a grounding weight, or maybe a sense of unease. It reminds me of some of Guston’s later work, that same feeling of raw, unfiltered expression, a world of doubt made visible. It's a beautiful, messy conversation.