Random Distribution of 40,000 Squares Using the Odd and Even Numbers of a Telephone Directory (detail) 1971

Francois Morellet seems to have made this painting with paint and a very, very, very steady hand. I love the idea of the artist working through some system, almost like a set of rules, and I like to think about the decisions they made while executing their plan: working with an underlying logic, but always with a bit of improvisation and play. Here, the texture isn’t about layering or dimensionality. It's flatter, more uniform, and more about the interactions between colors. The blue peeks out, sometimes assertive, sometimes shy. I wonder if Morellet was inspired by Agnes Martin when he made this. It feels like it has a very similar approach. For me, this work is like an ongoing conversation between different artists. It’s about being open, curious, and always looking for new ways to see and think about the world. And maybe, just maybe, it suggests that painting can be an instruction, a system and a record of thought and action.