Cojones III 2006

Here we have Cojones III, an artwork by Barton Lidice Benes. It's not dated, but it's a riot of color made from what looks like the ends of paint tubes. The texture is incredible, isn't it? All those little circles pressed together, creating a kind of tactile map. You can almost feel the give and take of the materials, the soft squish of the paint contrasted with the hard edges of the tubes. Look closer, and you'll notice how the different colors interact: reds bumping up against blues, greens nestled among yellows. There's a real sense of play here, a kind of exuberant energy that makes you want to reach out and touch it, even though you probably shouldn't. It reminds me of the work of artists like Yayoi Kusama who also use repetition and color to create immersive, almost psychedelic experiences. Like Kusama, Benes isn't afraid to embrace ambiguity, inviting us to get lost in the details and find our own meanings within the work.