Growth 1968

Rita Angus made this painting, 'Growth', with oil on canvas, and it looks like she was really thinking about how colors and shapes can create a whole new world. The way she’s divided the canvas into these blocks of color, it’s like she’s growing a garden of geometric forms, one careful brushstroke at a time. The surface has this amazing smoothness, yet you can almost feel the texture, especially in the blue blocks that form the background. It’s like she's laid the paint on so carefully, building up layers that give it depth. See that yellow triangle near the top? The way it’s divided with a vertical line makes it almost architectural, like a building standing tall. Angus reminds me of Agnes Martin, in the way she uses simple forms to create complex emotions. But where Martin is all about serenity, Angus has this grounded, earthy quality. Art is all about seeing and feeling, and this piece is an invitation to do just that.