Signs III 1981

Hedda Sterne made "Signs III" with paint and pencil, layering ethereal marks on canvas. It’s like she built the image from whispers. The color palette is hushed, almost monochromatic, which lets the process of artmaking become visible. Up close, you can see the graphite catching the light, and the subtle variations in tone. There’s a horizon line of denser marks in the center, like a congregation of figures, above and below, fainter suggestions of human presence. I love how the paint is applied so thinly in places that you can see the texture of the canvas coming through, and how, when you get close, the whole thing shimmers. This reminds me of Agnes Martin, whose paintings also invite quiet contemplation. Sterne’s work is a reminder that art doesn't have to shout to be heard; sometimes the most profound statements are made in a whisper. It celebrates art as a space for contemplation, where meaning emerges gradually.