Marisa Merz
9 - Untitled, n. d.
Graphite on framed canvas,
Collection Merz, photo: Renato Ghiazza © SIAE, Rome, 2024
The copper wire stretcher frames find their formal counterpart in Marisa Merz’s drawings on canvas, particularly in this one. A face emerges and yet immediately threatens to disappear again. The almond-shaped eyes are almost closed. This is a pose inviting contemplation and self-reflection. The motif of closed eyes is one that repeatedly appears in her works. It is an expression of introspection while at the same time acting as an interface to the external world.
Has the angelic figure that looms in the lower right of the painting appeared from a dream? It emerges within a pristine space, enveloped in a grey halo, while its wings are only hinted at.