January – March 2010
For its third exhibition, The Farjam Foundation departs from its former displays of Islamic art to present a fascinatingly varied display of drawings which covers 70 years of modern Western art. Encompassing works on paper by some of the most respected artists of the twentieth century, this exhibition shows fine examples of what is arguably the most direct form of creative expression.
The drawings of the artists presented here (not only painters but also sculptors and even a photographer), are either works in their own right or preparatory studies for other projects. Yet in each case we see how, despite the difference in style, each artist draws well, enjoying the many advantages of a medium which, it has been suggested, is the closest to pure thought.
The insights this exhibition offers are immensely valuable and instructive. As Renaissance drawings are appreciated for their insights into both the thinking processes and the formal issues faced by earlier artists, so we can look to these more recent examples to enlarge our understanding of modern artistic practice. However, as well as this, the range of drawings assembled here bears testimony to Matisse’s assertion that drawing is “not an exercise of particular dexterity, but above all a means of expressing intimate feelings and moods.”
Anna Moszynska
Author and expert in modern art
Exhibition catalog
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