Backbone 1979

Arnulf Rainer made this print called Backbone with dense red marks over a pale ground, like one colour consuming another. It’s an image built up through repetition and rhythm. I can almost feel Rainer’s hand moving back and forth, back and forth, like a meditation. Maybe he was thinking of Rothko or Newman as the image began to emerge? The red is so visceral it makes me wonder if he was feeling raw or exposed. And then, there's that band of white peeking through at the bottom – a horizon? A new beginning? It reminds me that artists are always in conversation, building on what’s come before, pushing painting into new territories. Each mark, each layer, is a step into the unknown.