Showing a large series of self-portraits, Stuck proves himself an extremely capable improviser on the theme of himself. Varied moods, colors, structures and atmospheres set the diverse scenes for the more or less same seated nude profile figure purportedly representing the artist. The impact of his versatility makes an urgent and immediate contact. Smudged charcoal lines in an oil is handled with clarity and discretion, while decorative patterns are startlingly evocative, painted with a surprising degree of technical facility and sensitivity to the picture surface. Stuck’s drawings are as good as anything in the exhibition. They exploit optical illusionism to an esthetic end.
—Arthur Secunda
June 1962
VOL. 1, NO. 1
