Petroglyph - Human Figures 1935 - 1942

This is a piece called Petroglyph - Human Figures by Lala Eve Rivol. There’s no date, but she was working during the 20th century. The image is so raw, like she’s channeling something ancient directly through her hand. See how the marks are made with what looks like crayon or pastel? The texture is dry and scumbled, building up these layers of red, black, and green. The figures themselves are so simply drawn, almost like stick figures, but they have this immense presence. Look at the way she’s outlined them in red, giving them a kind of aura, or energy field. And the boat or platform they’re standing on—it’s like some kind of ritual object, adorned with these dangling legs. It's all so totemic and mysterious. I'm reminded of Forrest Bess, another artist who tapped into something primal, but Rivol’s approach feels more direct, less filtered through the conscious mind. Art like this reminds us that meaning isn't always about what we see, but about what we feel.