Riphaeus Mountain Region of the Moon 1972

Nancy Graves made "Riphaeus Mountain Region of the Moon" using mixed media on paper. Just imagine how this image came into being, dot by dot, maybe shifting and emerging through trial, error, and intuition? I feel for Graves, thinking about what it must have been like to make this. What was she thinking, patiently building up those pastel clouds of color? It reminds me of Seurat, but softer, more dreamy. See how the paint is applied in delicate layers, like a watercolor, almost. Each tiny gesture communicates a feeling, a little intention, like mapping out a whole new world. Graves was always pushing boundaries, and this piece feels like part of that. It's like she's in a conversation with all the painters who ever looked up at the night sky and tried to capture its mystery. That's what painting is all about, right? An ongoing exchange of ideas across time. It's a beautiful, ambiguous, and uncertain process, leaving room for endless interpretations.