Untitled 1961

Louis Bunce created this untitled print with lithographic crayon, ink, and graphite. There’s something immediate about the marks, right? Like a jazz riff. You can feel the artist leaning into the plate, smudging and dragging the crayon to make those velvety blacks. Then he adds a dash of blue, like a grace note. It’s all about improvisation. I can imagine him working quickly, responding to what’s already there, and pushing and pulling until a dynamic composition emerges. The black ink kind of oozes, like a counterpoint to the crisp lines. It’s like he's conjuring up forms from pure energy. I love the vulnerability of the exposed paper too - the way he allows for the imperfections of the printing process. It reminds me of de Kooning’s drawings, or maybe even Cy Twombly. I imagine Bunce and those guys had something in common, maybe a shared love of the unexpected. You know, artists learn from each other, challenge each other, and keep the conversation alive.