On warm off-white paper, a near-perfect circular explosion of graphite strokes detonates from a blazing central core—like a contained supernova or mandala of pure frenzy frozen mid-burst. Thousands of short-to-medium, restless pencil marks radiate outward in every direction: sweeping arcs curve dramatically before tangling back, sharp angles stab suddenly, frantic loops and reversals whip around in ceaseless agitation.
Density is extreme at the very heart—a solid, almost black nucleus where overlapping strokes lose individual identity, fusing into pure textured opacity and crushing depth. From this overloaded core, lines fan out in radial bursts, thinning gradually toward the crisp circular boundary yet never calming; they keep slashing, hooking, and recoiling in high-energy chaos right to the edge.
The stark tonal range—velvety near-blacks at the center fading to faint silvery wisps against pale paper—amplifies hypnotic intensity and isolation. The small scale draws the viewer intimately into the storm, turning the sheet into a microcosmic arena of tension.
Notice how the maximum-density core pulls the eye irresistibly inward to the point of origin, then violently propels it outward along radiating arcs and jagged trails—creating relentless rhythmic tension between implosive concentration and explosive dispersal, order and wild agitation.
Part of the Tychist Objects series, this unique drawing embraces tychism—Charles Sanders Peirce’s philosophy that genuine, objective chance is a fundamental creative force. Algorithmic random-number processes guided key decisions in mark placement, direction, and density, yet every restless stroke was executed by hand, merging mechanical indeterminacy with obsessive human energy. The result: a visual emblem of beauty born from true randomness—controlled frenzy emerging as if by miracle from pure chance.
In its compact, high-voltage circularity, the work invites sustained immersion—how does this graphite mandala of contained detonation stir your sense of explosive stillness, nervous vitality, or the quiet poetry of chaos held perfectly within a perfect circle?
Technical notes.
Unique drawing. Graphite on paper. Unframed dimensions: 11” high x 10-7/8” wide. Signed by the artist on the back, dated 2015. Frame not included.
On warm off-white paper, a near-perfect circular explosion of graphite strokes detonates from a blazing central core—like a contained supernova or mandala of pure frenzy frozen mid-burst. Thousands of short-to-medium, restless pencil marks radiate outward in every direction: sweeping arcs curve dramatically before tangling back, sharp angles stab suddenly, frantic loops and reversals whip around in ceaseless agitation.
Density is extreme at the very heart—a solid, almost black nucleus where overlapping strokes lose individual identity, fusing into pure textured opacity and crushing depth. From this overloaded core, lines fan out in radial bursts, thinning gradually toward the crisp circular boundary yet never calming; they keep slashing, hooking, and recoiling in high-energy chaos right to the edge.
The stark tonal range—velvety near-blacks at the center fading to faint silvery wisps against pale paper—amplifies hypnotic intensity and isolation. The small scale draws the viewer intimately into the storm, turning the sheet into a microcosmic arena of tension.
Notice how the maximum-density core pulls the eye irresistibly inward to the point of origin, then violently propels it outward along radiating arcs and jagged trails—creating relentless rhythmic tension between implosive concentration and explosive dispersal, order and wild agitation.
Part of the Tychist Objects series, this unique drawing embraces tychism—Charles Sanders Peirce’s philosophy that genuine, objective chance is a fundamental creative force. Algorithmic random-number processes guided key decisions in mark placement, direction, and density, yet every restless stroke was executed by hand, merging mechanical indeterminacy with obsessive human energy. The result: a visual emblem of beauty born from true randomness—controlled frenzy emerging as if by miracle from pure chance.
In its compact, high-voltage circularity, the work invites sustained immersion—how does this graphite mandala of contained detonation stir your sense of explosive stillness, nervous vitality, or the quiet poetry of chaos held perfectly within a perfect circle?
Technical notes.
Unique drawing. Graphite on paper. Unframed dimensions: 11” high x 10-7/8” wide. Signed by the artist on the back, dated 2015. Frame not included.
