Lola (Jeri)

“Lola (Jeri),” a 1981 oil pastel by R.C. Gorman, is a quietly bold figurative study of a seated woman shown from the front, her curly hair piled loosely atop her head, her form rendered in Gorman’s most minimal linear style. The pale cream ground surrounds the figure completely, and the body is defined almost entirely by clean, continuous graphite-soft lines with only faint tonal shading. The composition radiates calm confidence: the figure is fully present despite the economy of marks, a testament to Gorman’s lifelong study of classical figurative drawing. A rare and collectible example of Gorman’s oil pastel nude studies, essential for serious collectors of Southwest fine art and Native American figurative works.