Man Figure (Statement)
pencil drawing 22” x 30”
1976
Man Figure emerges from Richard Tuck’s ongoing exploration of the human form as a vessel for psychological tension and quiet revelation. The drawing captures a moment suspended between interiority and presence—an individual held in a state of becoming. The linework emphasizes gesture and detail, allowing the figure to feel both grounded and transient. The piece reflects a long‑standing interest in how posture, weight, and negative space can communicate emotional states without relying on overt expression.
Modernist lineage: The drawing echoes the economy of line found in early 20th‑century modernism—artists who distilled the figure to its essential rhythms.
Impressionistic sensitivity: Soft tonal transitions and flowing edges suggest a perceptual immediacy, as if the figure is emerging from memory rather than strict observation.
Gesture‑driven structure: The composition privileges movement and internal energy over anatomical precision, aligning with Tuck’s MFA‑era investigations into form, gesture, and spatial tension.
Material presence: The 18×24 scale allows the graphite to breathe, with visible strokes that reveal the drawing’s construction and the artist’s hand.
The subject appears caught between solidity and dissolution, inviting viewers to consider the instability of identity and the fleeting nature of self‑perception.
The posture and weight distribution imply an emotional undercurrent—fatigue, contemplation, or quiet resilience—without dictating a single narrative.
The undefined environment heightens the sense of introspection. The figure becomes a locus of attention, unanchored from context, encouraging viewers to project their own emotional landscape.
Visible media textures and tonal shifts foretake the drawing as a record of decision‑making. The viewer witnesses the figure being built, revised, and ultimately revealed.
Back of Figure - 1974
Woman Leaning Right - 1976