Knife
2010
Pastel and graphite on paper
24" x 18"
This drawing, which depicts a pair of hands and the word "knife," may seem simple and innocent but is actually laden with ominous contradictions. For example, both the hands and the word are in limbo. The right hand reaches, while the left hand restrains. The word "knife" has been rotated, oriented towards the hands rather than the viewer. Also, both the hands and the word are simultaneously menacing and non-threatening. The word "knife" recalls a tool that could hurt a person's hand but is itself harmless. Meanwhile, the right hand's fingers have a silhouette that is pointed and somewhat blade-like.
Despite these contradictions, the hands and the word share visual properties, especially with regards to form and space. Just as the word is made of flat, two-dimensional letters, the hands are depicted as an outline, a drawing void of volume. Also, the hands and the word are negative spaces where the flesh-like orange background appears to have been cut away, exposing the white of the paper. These visual elements further the idea of cutting that is suggested by the artwork.