Colored Paper Images I, from the series Colored Paper Images 1976

Ellsworth Kelly created this artwork, one of his "Colored Paper Images," using cut and pasted colored paper. Here, we see an interplay between the stark black form and the white space that surrounds it. This black form, a fragment of what might be an arch, echoes ancient motifs. Think of the archways in Roman aqueducts, or the curve of a celestial body. Throughout history, arches have symbolized gateways, transitions, and the promise of what lies beyond. In Kelly's piece, however, the arch is incomplete. This fragmentation evokes a sense of incompleteness, or perhaps the transient nature of form itself. Consider the void surrounding the form. It calls to mind the Jungian concept of the shadow, the unconscious aspect of the personality. Does this stark contrast elicit a sense of mystery or even unease? It reminds us that symbols are not static, their meanings can shift and evolve, shaped by collective memory and individual experiences.