Blue and Red 1951

Ellsworth Kelly made this “Blue and Red” using felt, and its simplicity just gets me. The shapes read at first glance as blocks of solid color, but the felt gives it this material, almost textile-like quality. The texture brings so much to what would otherwise be just flat shapes, doesn’t it? Look closely, and you’ll see the tiny fibers, the way the light catches on the surface. It’s not just about color; it’s about touch, about something real and present. This piece reminds me of Agnes Martin’s work, not just in its simplicity, but in how it invites you to slow down, to really look. It shows how much can be said with very little. It is never really about the end result, but more about the artmaking process.