06/13/2026
Can something be brutalist but delicate?
Albert Van Nesse Greene straddles that line to me.
Remember Pastel is almost “pure color” (made from finely ground pigments, a binder and water to form a paste) Greene’s choice is Sandpaper which grips pigment fixing in place so we can enjoy his direct sophisticated mark.
On the flipside the fragility of pastelwork is beautifully described by Diderot as “the precious powder … which falls off as easily as scales from a butterfly’s wings”
1887 - 1971
