A Maze 1977

Joyce Kozloff made "A Maze" with paint and a steady hand. I imagine her, brush in hand, building up these layers of color and geometric patterns, not quite symmetrical but vibrant and alive. You see these fields of densely packed floral shapes set against regimented borders. It's like a garden gone wild, bordered on either side by architectural remnants. The shapes are irregular, suggesting a kind of organic growth, a constant negotiation between order and chaos. I can imagine her, considering where to place each bloom. Kozloff's wider practice is often engaged with pattern, decoration, and architectural space. Like other pattern and decoration artists, she’s pushing back against the old hierarchy that says decoration is somehow less important than "high" art. Artists are always in dialogue with one another, even across time. There is no right or wrong way to experience this piece. Instead, there are many possible readings, reflecting the maze-like complexities of art and life.