Installation view 1989

Gaylen Gerber made these monochromatic paintings as part of an installation, and what strikes me is how they invite us to slow down, to pause, and to really *see*. I wonder what it was like to create such subtle works? Did he work on them all at once, or one at a time, adjusting the color as he went? I imagine Gerber, brush in hand, carefully mixing pigments to achieve just the right tone. It’s not quite brown, not quite gray, but somewhere in between, a kind of muted earthiness. The paint looks so thin, like a veil, and the square format gives each painting a sense of quiet self-containment. The paintings remind me of Agnes Martin's subtle grids, but here, it’s less about the grid and more about the color, or the near absence of it, and how it interacts with the light in the room. In the end, these paintings are a testament to the power of simplicity and restraint, inviting us to contemplate the beauty that can be found in the most minimal of gestures.