Pascal, State of Grace 1987

Dorothea Rockburne made 'Pascal, State of Grace' using a combination of painting and collage. You get a sense of her process, how she might have shuffled these elements around. It's not about hiding the working, but making that the whole point. The colors are so particular, almost like she's alchemizing something. The gold leaf especially, it’s so material and present, yet it shimmers like light itself. The textures play off each other too - the matte of the painted panels against the sheen of the gold, with the hint of green underneath like a hidden secret. I love how the brushstrokes are visible, too. It brings a real sense of the hand and the body into it, y’know? Rockburne’s work reminds me of Agnes Martin in its quiet, meditative quality. Both artists invite us to slow down and really see, to appreciate the subtle shifts in tone and texture that can open up a whole world of feeling.