Untitled 1969

This unnamed piece by Nasreen Mohamedi, made with ink on paper, is all about the push and pull of subtle variations. The color is almost not there, a whisper of grey and black, but the lines! They're like scaffolding, a framework for seeing. Some are bold, declaring their presence, while others are so faint, they're like memories of lines. It's all about the making, the process of layering and adjusting, deciding what to keep and what to let fade. Look at that one thick vertical stroke. It anchors the whole piece, but it's also a little off-kilter, like it's leaning into the wind. That reminds me of Agnes Martin’s work, the way she used grids to create a sense of calm, but also a subtle unease. These lines, and the way they interact, create a feeling of infinite space, a space for contemplation and dreaming. It's not about what you see, but how you see.