Untitled 2014

This square painting, by Heimo Zobernig, seems to be playing with the most basic elements: a form, a colour, a line. The eye is drawn to the painted red line that defines the edge of the white square. It’s sharp but also uneven, kind of dissolving into the white ground around it. The textured surface and simple palette create a weird tension – it’s like looking at a minimalist painting that’s been left out in the sun for too long. I find myself looking at that top edge – the way the red is almost bleeding into the white, creating a fuzzy border. It’s not precise, it’s not perfect, but it’s real. And that, for me, is what makes it interesting. It doesn’t hide its process; it embraces it. The simplicity of this piece reminds me of Agnes Martin’s grids. Yet, where Martin’s work feels delicate and ethereal, Zobernig’s has a kind of raw, almost clumsy quality. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to be polished or perfect to be profound.