Untitled 1957

Ellsworth Kelly made this untitled work, and the way he lays down the red and blue feels like a direct, intuitive dance. It's like watching him figure out the form as he goes. There's something so satisfying about how the red pushes against the blue, not quite symmetrical but balanced in a way that feels deeply natural. The way the colors bleed into each other hints at the process, it's not overly worked but immediate, like a snapshot of a feeling. Notice how some of the edges have a hard, defined line while others fade out, as though Kelly is inviting us to witness the painting unfold. Thinking about artists like Matisse, who also knew how to make so much from so little, it's clear that simplicity, as a technique, is anything but simple. What does it mean to just put down what is essential?