In place of the traditional tools for blending pastels on the sheet—a stump or a tapered cylinder of rolled paper called a torchon—Lucas Samaras used his finger. Samaras said it served to help him remain aware of the physicality of his creative process; he has described this drawing as a self-portrait of sorts, portraying his finger as a drawing implement.
Lucas Samaras (1936– ), Untitled, July 3, 1965. Gift of Lucas Samaras and Arne Glimcher, The Morgan Library & Museum, 2013.59. © Lucas Samaras, courtesy Pace Gallery.