Howard Tangye

Howard Tangye’s drawings explore the nuances of the human form in an effort to expose the sitter’s energy and body. The artist prefers to work with oil-paint sticks on paper, though he also incorporates graphite, oil paint, and chalk into his works. He often scrapes and smudges his lines to create sketchy, expressive figures whose bodies are composed of fluid marks. Tangye’s drawings have grown increasingly painterly in recent years, incorporating seemingly random swatches of color. Looking to artists like Mark Rothko, Bridget Riley, and Agnes Martin, Tangye captures the essence of his sitters through an unadulterated lens, often positioning them as fragile, shy, and romantic.