Matrix I 1985

Warren Rohrer made Matrix I, a painting using what seems to be a simple, blended wash of colour. The top, a dusty rose, gives way to a tranquil green below. It’s quiet, meditative. Looking closely, the surface has a sandy texture, like it was scrubbed with the side of the brush. The painting is like a memory, not quite crisp, but soft at the edges, like a half remembered dream. The border feels unfinished, raw. Here, Rohrer lets the process show. He isn't trying to hide the labor, but letting us into the studio. This reminds me a little of Agnes Martin. Same attention to the hand, the personal touch. Both of them let the imperfections into the work, inviting us to reflect on the human element, a reminder that even in abstraction, there is a person behind the process.