Dorothy
Artist
Brenda Goodman
(American, born 1943)
Date1964
MediumOil crayon on paper
DimensionsPaper Size: 21 1/2 × 19 in. (54.6 × 48.3 cm)
ClassificationsDrawing
Credit LineGift of David Zucca, 2015
Object numberUAC6323
DescriptionBrenda Goodman began to draw at eight years old and she hasn’t stopped since. Today she is known for fusing the abstract with the figurative, generating a surreal tone in her artworks. In the 1960’s and 70’s, Goodman spent her days with Detroit’s Cass Corridor. Her early works foreshadow a career of experimentation and transcendence. Her oil painting from 1964, Untitled, is an illustration of a woman posed in the traditional portraiture manner, however, Goodman’s execution of the figure’s features is unconventional. Although the remnants of oilstick make up her shape, scratches and smudges add to the detail, creating a mystifying effect. Notably, the only conspicuous flesh colors are found in her face - her nose being big and red and her lips small and bright. Also striking is the way the subject looks out to the viewer. Her pupils are small yet poignant, placing themselves as pin-drops in the center of an agitated atmosphere. It is unclear who this woman is, but one may speculate it is Goodman herself, or perhaps another figure that plays a significant role in her life’s narrative, perhaps her mother. Notwithstanding, the painting remains mysterious yet personal- an attribute of Goodman’s art that always succeed to attract an audience.She received her BFA from the Society of Arts and Crafts which is known today as the College for Creative Studies. She has been awarded the National Endowment for the Arts fellowship as well as two fellowships with the New York Foundation for the arts, and has exhibited at numerous galleries around Detroit and in New York.
Danielle Cervera Bidigare
Picture of the Week, 03/12/2018
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