Untitled 1963

Robert Ryman’s untitled painting is a square of beige canvas almost entirely covered in thick white paint. The way Ryman layers paint, it’s almost like he's sculpting with it. Look closely, and you'll see these little strokes, each one a testament to the physical act of painting. The canvas peeks through, creating a subtle tension between what's covered and what's left bare. I love how Ryman's mark-making is confident, even repetitive. It’s like he's saying, “This is painting, pure and simple.” It makes me think of Agnes Martin. But where her work is about restraint and almost invisible touch, Ryman's is more about the physicality of the medium. Ryman invites us to consider not just what we're seeing, but how we're seeing it. It's an invitation to slow down and contemplate the possibilities of paint.