Untitled (from Collection Resonance) 2011

This ‘Untitled’ piece is by Monique Orsini, and well, it’s a painting, of course! The brushwork is so spirited. You can almost feel Orsini's hand dancing across the canvas, creating this lively, almost floral form. Looking at the painting's surface, there's a real materiality at play, a contrast between the airy, light greens and grays and the dense, almost velvety blacks and reds. Notice how the strokes aren't trying to hide themselves; they're out there, visible, almost performative. The thick red pigment is built up in layers; it’s really present. The black mark pools and gathers. Each mark feels so intuitive, like Orsini is figuring out the image as she goes. It's like a conversation she's having with the paint itself. I’m reminded of Joan Mitchell, and that Abstract Expressionist interest in the gesture, but Orsini’s got her own distinct rhythm. It's a reminder that painting is always a fresh encounter. Always unresolved, always evolving.