Yellow Painting #14 1995

Editor: So, we're looking at Joseph Marioni's "Yellow Painting #14" from 1995. It's... yellow. A square of pretty intense yellow oil paint. Honestly, it makes me feel a bit like I'm staring into the sun, a slightly artificial, almost chemical sun. What do you see in this piece? Curator: You know, that "chemical sun" feeling is quite astute. For me, looking at it is a deeply embodied experience. The colour itself seems to radiate outwards, almost physically. Marioni’s work is so fascinating because he pushes the boundaries of what painting can be – stripping it down to its core elements: colour, light, and surface. But there's more. Do you feel it invites meditation? Editor: Meditation? I suppose...it's certainly a commitment to stand here and really *look*. There aren't any figures, or narratives to grasp onto. It is a singular focus, so maybe... How does that relate to Colour Field painting in general? Curator: Colour Field painting aims to create vast, unbounded fields of colour that engulf the viewer's senses. Think Rothko, but maybe…brighter? It's about experiencing the pure, emotional power of colour without any distractions. Marioni builds on that, focusing even more intensely on the subtleties within a single hue, like a master perfumer working with one precious essence. Can you see now how the slight variations in the yellow itself become the story? Editor: I think I’m starting to. The subtle texture, the way the light plays across the surface...it's less of a static colour, more of a breathing, shifting presence. Curator: Precisely. The colour lives; breathes with you. It shifts. Marioni, through this, reminds me of our capacity to encounter, to engage; a very intimate, and very unique experience, to carry within you long after. Editor: Wow. Okay, a lot more to a simple yellow square than meets the eye, initially. Thanks for that little deep dive!