Executed circa 1945. In the 1940s, Foy began creating increasingly complex graphite drawings. Created in a Surrealist vein, the present work depicts a gathering of biomorphic figures around a table placed in an ambiguous setting. Ironically, Foy’s drawings appear precise and visually sharp despite his dislike of preparatory sketches, often relying on his imagination to produce compelling compositions.

Between the 1940s and 1970s, American artist Gray Foy created a diverse body of meticulously rendered works. Initially inspired by both Surrealism and Magic Realism, Foy adopted what he referred to as a “hyper-realism” technique, which required intense concentration and preparation, the result of which are complex compositions that invite sustained observation. Foy was recently the subject of a solo exhibition at the Menil Collection in Houston, Hyperreal: Gray Foy, which celebrated two recent gifts to the Menil Drawing Institute of nearly 80 drawings by the artist.