Playa 1962

Robert Mallary made this work, Playa, using ink to explore the depths of monochrome. I can imagine the artist’s hand moving across the paper, coaxing out these watery marks, letting the ink bloom and pool. Look at the stark contrast between the dense blacks and the soft greys. It feels like a landscape, but one that’s dissolving, or maybe re-emerging from the mist. I picture Mallary experimenting with the ink, seeing how much he could get it to do, pushing it to its limits. There’s a tension here, a feeling of something both fragile and powerful. Notice how the ink gathers in certain spots, creating these rich, textured areas? It reminds me of the way light plays on water. I bet Mallary was inspired by painters like Franz Kline, who also found so much expression in black and white. Artists are always responding to each other, you know, building on what came before. It’s an ongoing conversation. And that’s what makes painting so exciting. You never know where it will lead.