Grid Twenty-Eight 1970

Thomas Downing made this painting, called 'Grid Twenty-Eight', with, what looks like, a very controlled hand. It's all about colour and process, like a science experiment, but with paint! The surface feels smooth, almost like the dots are floating on a sea of yellow. The paint isn't gloppy or textured; it's flat, which gives the whole thing a calm vibe. Notice how each dot is slightly different? Some are brighter, some are more subtle. It's like Downing is exploring all the possibilities within a single colour. My eyes keep jumping around the canvas, looking for patterns, but it always dissolves into just, well, yellow. It makes me think of Josef Albers, who was also obsessed with colour and how it affects us. But Downing takes it somewhere else, more open-ended. It’s not about answers, but about the pleasure of looking, thinking, and feeling. Art doesn't always have to make sense, sometimes it just needs to be.