Columns 1966

Curator: Agnes Martin’s 1966 graphite and paper drawing, "Columns", whispers more than it shouts, doesn't it? Editor: It does. At first glance, I'm struck by this quiet, almost monastic feeling. The soft gray lines and their repetition offer a certain…serenity. Curator: Monastic is perfect. I always felt that her minimalism aimed at stripping everything away until only pure, meditative feeling remains. Editor: Four pale columns rise like… like architectural prayers on this canvas, each filled with horizontal lines, rhythmic as breathing. They remind me of simple, enduring strength, yet they're so delicate. Each shape somehow reminds me of pillars of temples, perhaps something ancient. Curator: Yes, the rounded ends give it an almost classical feel—like standing stones or archaic markers. I believe that she often looked at Chinese landscape paintings for inspiration, aiming to create something that felt equally still and timeless. Editor: And each line so meticulously drawn, but the subtle irregularities prevent any harshness. They ripple. There's life there. Could this intentional imperfection be what Martin was aiming at? A subtle subversion? A quest for grace. Curator: Perhaps it was a visual way of reflecting life back on itself. Each imperfect thing reminds us that nothing stays the same and each variation contributes to something larger. Do you know, it wasn’t long after this drawing was completed that she destroyed much of her work and stopped painting altogether, driving off into the desert… Editor: It resonates as some kind of farewell, a simplification so extreme, like a whisper that carries the weight of silence. I can almost hear it. The entire picture is somehow archetypal. These patterns suggest permanence and timelessness. There’s beauty and profundity. Curator: Martin found a lot of beauty in letting go, which made her search even more inspiring to others. A very powerful statement told very quietly indeed! Editor: Definitely something to sit with a while, and let sink in. It almost encourages that quiet space inside oneself, where reflection comes easiest.