Claudette Johnson
2017
Pastels on paper and masking tape on paper
159 x 132 cm
Pastel and masking tape on paper A work made purely in pastel, Standing Figure demonstrates Claudette Johnson’s commitment to drawing, the mainstay of her artistic practice throughout her career. Typically working slowly, Johnson’s way of drawing registers the many nuances of the figures she depicts. The balance between her spare, graceful line and more densely worked areas creates a vivid sense of the figure as a living presence. The impression that the drawing is still in the process of being made – and, in this case, patched with masking tape – suggests that representation and identity are not fixed but are created and changeable.