Breach 1966

Lee Lozano made ‘Breach’ with paint on four panels. The way the shades almost imperceptibly shift into each other is so satisfying, it’s all about this subtle process of layering, like she’s trying to find the exact right tone, adjusting bit by bit. It’s a funny combo of shapes too, triangles and trapezoids, all working together to create this calm, monumental presence. The surface of the painting looks smooth, almost like it was airbrushed, but you can also see these delicate brushstrokes if you look closely, which creates this tension between something mechanical and handmade. In the lower part, there’s this semi-circular shape. It's not quite a circle, but it suggests one, like a rising or setting sun. ‘Breach’ reminds me a little of Agnes Martin, in the sense of wanting to create some kind of meditative space with abstract forms. But Lozano has this more aggressive edge. Art’s not about fixed meanings but about embracing different ways of experiencing the world, right?