Drawing (Untitled, Blue/Green) 1971

This 'Untitled, Blue/Green' drawing was made by Peter Joseph, we don’t know exactly when, and it is simple but quietly powerful. The way Joseph has handled the paint, or whatever medium, is so deliberate. The colors are flat and opaque; the blue is pure and the line of green at the bottom anchors the whole thing. Look at the edges of the blue rectangle, they’re not perfect, they waver and reveal a little of the white ground underneath. That small imperfection is everything! It reminds us that a person made this, that there was a hand and a process involved. There’s something so calming about this piece. It reminds me a little of Agnes Martin’s quiet grids, or maybe even some of Josef Albers’ color studies. They all share a focus on the subtle relationships between color and form, and how those relationships can affect our emotional state. But ultimately, Joseph’s work stands on its own, inviting us to slow down, breathe, and just be with the color.