Pinwheel 1964

Charles Hinman's Pinwheel, from an unknown date, is a three-dimensional painting that pops off the wall with a playful geometry. The color palette is bold and immediate; it makes me think of childhood toys. Looking at the surface, you can see the hand of the artist, the way the paint is applied in flat planes, almost like colored panels bolted together. I love the way the shapes curve and intersect, creating a dynamic tension. Notice how the bright yellow slides beneath the red, only to be interrupted by that crisp white curve. It's a visual game of push and pull, where colors and forms vie for our attention. Hinman's work reminds me a little bit of the shaped canvases of Elizabeth Murray. Like Murray, he's pushing painting beyond the traditional rectangle, inviting us to experience it as a physical object. But where Murray’s work is chaotic and brimming with internal life, Hinman’s paintings are bold in their simplicity. There’s something so direct and unapologetic about the shapes, it’s a really striking work that demands your attention!