Untitled 1961

Alfred Leslie made this untitled print in New York City in 1961 using screenprint on paper. I love the high contrast, like something between a constructivist poster and a day-glo Rothko! The yellow is so solid, so intentionally flat, it’s like it’s daring you to find a flaw. But it's the texture of the paper that grabs me. Leslie doesn’t try to hide the weave. Instead, it adds this whole other layer, a subtle grit that throws the whole thing off in the best possible way. The shapes feel almost collaged, pasted together like a ransom note. There’s a tension between precision and chance, control and accident. Think of artists like Robert Motherwell, with his similarly bold yet deceptively casual juxtapositions. It’s this conversation across time, this push and pull, that keeps art alive. It’s not about answers, but about the questions we keep asking.