Tensions 1980

Charles Bezie made this painting 'Tensions', and I can only imagine the kind of headspace he was in. The picture plane is covered with tiny crosses, almost like stitches holding the surface together. The word 'tensions' makes me think about all the forces at play: the push and pull, the weight of one colour against another. It’s a real tightrope act. Yellows, blues, and reds shimmer and vibrate as they vie for space. I start to feel a little anxious and claustrophobic, and I feel for the artist. Repetition can be meditative but also maddening! I wonder if Bezie ever felt like he was losing it, one cross at a time. But then, maybe he found solace there, in the quiet accumulation of marks, like Agnes Martin did, or maybe he was thinking about Albers’ colour theories. Artists are always talking to each other, even across decades, pushing and prodding at the boundaries of what painting can be. It’s a beautiful, messy conversation.