Untitled

Untitled

Patti Smith

1971

gouache

From the collection of Museum of Modern Art

About this work

This sketch shows a face drawn in loose, uneven lines with a surprised or angry expression. The head is tilted inside a triangle, and there’s a cloud floating nearby. Below, a small black-and-white photo of a person holding a book is pasted on. The artist scribbled notes around the edges in ballpoint pen. The notes mention the person in the photo crying out while reading a book—likely a reference to the photo itself. The drawing feels raw and fast, like a quick idea jotted down. Next, check out gouache to see how this water-based paint works differently from other mediums.

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