Pyramid 2011

Samia Halaby made this huge painting, “Pyramid,” with acrylic on canvas. Look at those shapes! Rectangles and triangles and lozenges of juicy color; a whole system of stacked up angles, and geometric confetti. I can just imagine Halaby in the studio, pushing the paint around, trying this, then that, maybe even sanding it back, wiping it off—that’s what it's like for me anyway! All those blues, yellows, and blacks, fighting for space and attention. You know, I bet she was looking at other artists too, like the Cubists, or maybe even some Op art. Artists are always in conversation with each other, across time, inspiring each other's creativity. It's like she's taken apart a pyramid and exploded it across the canvas, but not really, because there's this solid dark presence that refuses to let the whole thing just float away. "Pyramid" embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, it’s open for you to jump in and see what you find!