Studies of Sheep 

Robert Hills made this drawing, "Studies of Sheep," using graphite. The composition is a field of white space sparsely populated with softly rendered forms. These shapes, each a study of sheep in various poses, invite a reading that is less about pastoral life and more about the act of seeing itself. Hills delicately renders each sheep using subtle gradations of graphite, creating an almost ethereal quality. This gentle approach softens the boundaries of the forms, allowing them to blend with the negative space, which challenges the traditional figure-ground relationship. By destabilizing the conventional emphasis on clearly defined subjects, the artwork prompts questions about perception and the very essence of representation. Consider how the artist uses the bare minimum of strokes to evoke the texture of wool, the weight of the animals. This economy of means speaks to a deeper inquiry into how little is needed to convey form and presence. It's not just a study of sheep but a study of the fundamentals of art itself.