Untitled 1972

This is an untitled work by Dorothea Rockburne, made with simple materials, maybe paper and some kind of translucent wash. I love how Rockburne lets the materials speak. The stain-like marks at the top and those odd halos in the lower section – they're not trying to be anything other than what they are, you know? You get the sense that she's playing with chance, letting the liquid medium do its thing. There's something so appealing about this kind of directness, like she’s revealing a process, not concealing it. And those halos in the lower section? They remind me a bit of Pat Steir's waterfall paintings, the way she let the paint drip and pool. Both artists seem interested in surrendering control, in allowing the material to dictate the form. In the end, it’s a reminder that art is less about answers and more about the ongoing, messy, and beautiful conversation.