Eyes in Dense Hatching

About the work

Two large round eyes appear among tightly overlaid loops and short strokes. One sits higher than the other, giving the face a pronounced tilt. Dark pupils are surrounded by relatively pale rings; a nose and mouth can be discerned below. Long bands of internal hatching spread around the face, with almost no clear boundary between head and ground.

The recognisable image emerges through differences in density. Pale eye circles arrest the gaze, then the small marks draw it into neighbouring passages again. The strokes do more than shade a form: each retains its own curve and direction. The face consequently seems both assembled and dispersed across the surface. Its expression concentrates on the tense proximity of large eyes and the almost continuous, restless mesh surrounding them.