Erin Holscher Almazan's "Routine #2" is anything but at the MAPC Show

Erin Holscher-Almazan's "Routine #2" is anything but routine. It is a tour de force of drawing, composition,  and richness of what print makers love to get into - black, black, black ink. This print shows Almazan's technical virtuosity, but what appeals moreso is the impact of the image. It's not just some mere academic exercise, and it's not just how she composes the woman in her scanty, little black slip. There is something in how Almazan presents the overwhelming sensuality of this woman in her prime.

The ease with which Almazan captures this woman's essence lets us understand and feel her vulnerabilities. It is a visceral reaction to being essentially human.  Yet, something is amiss. She withdraws within herself, expressing frustration, anguish, remorse, loss and ultimately - resolve. There is great strength in this woman, even as she retreats. The marks that encircle the woman emanate some protective layer from the blackness that surrounds her body and her thoughts. It reminds me of  the strengths of Schiele's work, some of the expressiveness of the Pre-Raphaelite madonnas, and some of the El Muerto photograph series of John Sevigny. This is an excellent work, and one looks forward to seeing more of Almazan's  explorations of the human experience.