2007
Graphite pencil on paper
139 x 121 x 6 in
353.1 x 307.3 x 15.2 cm
Rubins’s drawings are dense, three-dimensional creations that challenge the medium’s typical association with the delicacy of line and, like her sculptures, appear to defy gravity. She covers every inch of the paper with her markmaking materials, in this case graphite, and then often folds, layers, and creases the paper. The result evokes draped fabric or crumpled metal and conveys a distinct pictorial character within its monochromatic surface sheen. At first glance, this work may appear to be weighty and steel-like. Up close, the viewer may notice the ways in which the edges of the paper curl to reveal the imperfections beneath. However, even the scuffed and smudged underside of the work radiates energy—begging us to reevaluate the transformative power of the pencil.
Text by Buffalo AKG, label from Drawing: The Beginning of Everything, July 8–October 15, 2017
Drawing
Related works
Drawing, 1975-2011 Collection of the Hammer Museum Los Angeles, CA
Drawing, 2010 Collection of the Weatherspoon Art Museum Greensboro, NC
Drawing, 2000 Collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art New York, NY
Drawing, 1997 Collection of the Museum of Modern Art New York, NY
Drawing, 1997 Collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Los Angeles, CA
Drawing, 1996 Collection of the New Mexico Museum of Art Santa Fe, NM
Drawing, 1994 Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL