Untitled 2002

This untitled painting was made by Gerwald Rockenschaub using flat, graphic shapes of acrylic paint, somewhere around the turn of the millennium. Rockenschaub lays down each colour as a perfectly smooth, opaque block. The way he builds up the composition feels completely intuitive – like the moment when you absentmindedly begin doodling and find a weird kind of satisfaction in the build up of forms. Look at the way the pink line intersects the central circle; there’s a great contrast between the perfect flatness of the shapes and the looping gesture of the line, which introduces a sense of movement. It makes me think of other artists who work with geometric forms, like Blinky Palermo, but there’s an informality here that feels totally unique. Ultimately, the painting remains ambiguous, inviting endless interpretations and conversations, which is what art is all about, right?