Tensions 1980

Charles Bezie made 'Tensions' using what looks like thousands of tiny crosses to create a larger image or field. This piece feels like a slow, deliberate meditation on artmaking as a process. Looking closely, you can see how the density and color of the crosses vary to create a kind of shimmering effect, almost like pixelation. The surface seems both incredibly flat and strangely dimensional, the white crosses sitting on a dark canvas, and creating a tension between foreground and background, which really resonates with the title. The crosses, they're like tiny brushstrokes, each one a decision, building up this complex whole. I'm drawn to the way Bezie embraces the imperfections and irregularities in his mark-making, each cross isn't perfect, and this is what gives the piece so much life. It's got a similar energy to some of Agnes Martin's grids, though Bezie's mark-making is much more distinct. It's a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, always referencing and building upon what came before, while still forging its own unique path.