The Mythic Being: I - Embody Everything You Most Hate and Fear 1975

Adrian Piper made this charcoal drawing called "The Mythic Being: I - Embody Everything You Most Hate and Fear." The drawing feels immediate, as if Piper was working something out in real time. The marks are direct, almost confrontational. Charcoal does that, you know? It gives you that inky blackness, but with a dry, powdery texture that's so raw. See how the artist has layered the charcoal, building up tones to create the face and hand, leaving a lot of the black paper visible. Piper's use of charcoal is interesting because she uses it to create both likeness and a barrier, obscuring the face while revealing something about its attitude. The text floating next to the figure's head is stark, a bold statement that hangs in the air like the smoke from the cigarette. It suggests so many things, but nails nothing down. It feels very Jenny Holzer, but the drawing gives it another emotional layer. Art is all about embracing ambiguity and exploring the conversations that different forms of expressions have with one another.