Torso

Eleanor Kent

A graphically dynamic etching in which Eleanor Kent has rendered a woman’s torso and arm by utilizing the negative space as much as deep black, broad-brush calligraphic strokes, to make a composition that is at once human and totally non representational. Kent’s “Torso” exemplifies the mid-20th century interest in simplification of form, whether in abstraction or otherwise; to do away with noise and present the bones of what one is seeing. This interest in pure form would be a recurring theme throughout Kent’s career, even as she transitioned to computerized imagery. Here, however, the viewer sees an artist first digging into the meat and meaning of art.

By 1957 Kent had only been pursuing art for a few years, studying painting and printmaking with Frank Lobdell and Nathan Oliveira at the California School of Fine Arts (now the San Francisco Art Institute). The experimental nature of the school no doubt opened her mind to discovering new ways of working with unusual materials. By the 1970s, as Xerox copy machines became a popular tool of the modern age, Kent wanted to find a use for it in the artistic realm. This led to many years of digital and otherwise machine-based art, which she continued to explore until her death in 2014 in San Francisco, CA. “Torso” remains a window onto the early days of a pioneering artist who flew woefully below the radar.