Ifrit 2014

Gerhard Richter made Ifrit without specifying when and with no dimensions specified. It’s such a trip to imagine Richter in the studio, right? He's pushing paint around, letting it drip, watching colors blend and separate, like some kind of alchemist or mad scientist. What's so cool about this piece is how it seems to embrace chance and accident. Look at those streaks of red and yellow swirling together, then that cascade of blues and purples. I imagine him tilting the canvas this way and that, coaxing the paint into these wild formations. There's a physicality to it, too, you know? You can almost feel the weight and viscosity of the paint. Richter plays with texture and surface, creating areas that are smooth and glossy next to others that are rough and matte. And it’s like, what did he think of Helen Frankenthaler, what did she think of him? It’s all just one big, beautiful conversation that painters have across time. It reminds me that painting is all about experimentation and discovery. It’s not about having all the answers, but about asking questions and embracing the unknown.