Horseshow Two 1971

Thomas Downing made Horseshow Two, a painting with acrylic on canvas, and you can see how he built it dot by dot. The off-white ground is painted thinly, allowing the canvas texture to breathe through, like a whisper. But then, look at those circles. Each one is a clean, solid color, but with slight variations in density, like you’re looking at stained glass. Downing used various brushes to dab them onto the canvas, creating a slight halo effect around each dot, blurring the line between precision and chance. I keep returning to that maroon color dot. It's so earthy and grounded and anchors the whole piece, like a full stop at the end of a sentence. Downing’s use of color and simple form reminds me a little of Kenneth Noland's target paintings, but with a softer edge, more like a meditation. It reminds you that art is not about perfect outcomes, but about the playful process of seeing.