Trinome (6 - 2 - C - 31) 1996

Yves Gaucher made *Trinome* sometime during his lifetime using paint and, well, geometry. It is what I would call hard-edge abstraction. I can imagine Gaucher carefully masking off areas, and laying down each color with precision, one after the other. You know, there's this wide open expanse of creamy off-white space and then this long horizontal band of dark hues. The dark band is not quite symmetrical – interrupted on either side by beige rectangles. All separated by a slim white line! I think the artist is in love with edges. There’s something deeply satisfying about the way these shapes meet, and how the colors play off each other. It reminds me a little of Josef Albers’ work on colour theory, but with a more melancholic vibe. Painting is like a conversation between artists across time. Each new work builds on what came before. This one makes me wonder about the many ways paintings can be a space for exchange and discussion.