Pushed-Up Ink 1964

Lee Ufan's “Pushed-Up Ink” is covered in rhythmic marks of black ink on what appears to be a neutral ground. I can imagine Lee Ufan making this, pressing the brush down, maybe even using his whole body, to create these repeated circular gestures. I wonder, what was he thinking? Maybe about the monochrome paintings of his predecessors, but in a totally new, energized way? The texture! You can almost feel it. The ink isn’t just lying there; it's built up, pushed up, as the title suggests. It's so interesting to think about how each mark is both individual and part of a larger pattern. It reminds me of Agnes Martin's grids, but messier, more human. Artists are always responding to each other, riffing on ideas, and pushing things in new directions. With this painting, it feels like Lee Ufan found a way to make something both meditative and wildly physical.