Untitled 1968

This is an untitled work on paper by Seymour Lipton, made in 1968. Looking at it, I can almost feel the charcoal dust on my fingers. It’s a dance between light and dark, a push and pull of lines that seem to both define form and dissolve it. See how Lipton uses these bold strokes to suggest depth and volume, creating a sense of sculptural presence on a flat surface. The lines aren't precious, they overlap and intersect, revealing the artist’s process. He’s searching for the form, feeling his way through the darkness. I imagine Lipton, hunched over the paper, moving with a sense of urgency and intuition. Maybe he was thinking about the way metal bends and twists, how shapes can imply tension and release. Like all artists, Lipton was in conversation with the past, with sculptors like David Smith or painters like Gorky. Each mark they made became a part of an ongoing exchange. The artwork isn’t just a static object, but a record of a creative encounter.