The impulse to draw--to make lines on a surface--has a history nearly as long as that of humankind. An apparently universal phenomenon, drawing is also our most common "art" experience, an activity engaged in spontaneously by virtually every child. Historically, drawings have been made for a multitude of reasons--to capture and record an event, experience, or image; to honor, invoke or placate a higher power; to teach; to explore and express ideas and feelings; to give pleasure; in inspire--and drawn images have taken an astonishing variety of forms, from informal sketches to highly finished, fully resolved compositions.
This exhibition sets out to explore the medium of drawing and the motivations behind it by examining some of its more common purposes and manifestations. Organized by Marjorie Harth and Steve Comba, the exhibition is based on works from the Pomona College Collection, augmented by important loans from neighboring institutions.
