Acracropolis 1966

Al Held’s *Acracropolis* seems to have been made with acrylic on canvas, and I find myself wondering about the moment he decided to place that bold burgundy L-shape against all that white. Was there a previous painting underneath? Did it emerge through trial, error, and intuition? It makes me think about Ad Reinhardt, but also Ellsworth Kelly. Held is simplifying, but with a twist. The brushstrokes are visible, and the colour feels raw and organic like it has been mixed from a tube and applied straight to the canvas, with no fuss. It's a specific colour, one that almost matches the blood in your veins. And it’s cool how one gesture can hold so much intention, the hand moving slowly over the canvas. He is not hiding the painting process. Instead, Held embraces the materiality of paint. He's showing us how something as simple as colour and shape can still be a way to express feeling, or even ask questions about seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world. He is in conversation with other painters, riffing on their ideas while pushing his own.