Pastel em papel 1969

Angelo de Sousa made this pastel on paper and, like much drawing, it is an immediate record of the artist's gestures. You know, the thing about pastel, or any drawing medium, is that the marks are so exposed! It's like the artist's hand is right there, making these looping, swirling shapes. I can almost feel the pressure of the pastel on the paper, the slight drag and skip of the pigment. It’s thin and linear, made up of these very physical strokes, each one a little wobbly and individual, but they add up to more than the sum of their parts. The color palette is subtle but playful, different hues layered on top of each other. It reminds me a bit of Cy Twombly, or maybe even some of the early abstract expressionists, but with a lightness and delicacy all its own. It's cool how one simple gesture can be so many things at once, right? Like art is just one big conversation, everyone riffing off each other, adding their own little spin to the mix.