18" x 24", charcoal on paper
These drawings are about ideas concerning basic human contact, relationships, intimacy. Whether shaking hands or holding hands, two people are coming from their own perspectives and meeting with expectations that may or may not coincide. Perception, intention, interpretation, touch, what is said and unsaid are all a part of the complex communication surrounding this gesture. The meaning of the act is complex, whether it occurs in business, politics, friendship, or romance.
I decided not to do paintings of these images because I think color would be a detraction. I like that the the figurative elements seem to be made of the same stuff as each other and the space they are in. The drawings are almost like snapshots, isolating the gesture from context for contemplation.
I am a huge Guston fan and I admire the way he unselfconsciously paints hands:
That goes for Max Beckman, too:
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