Untitled 1965

Larry Zox made this untitled drawing in 1985 using colored pencils on graph paper. You know, artmaking isn't always about grand gestures; sometimes it’s about the simple pleasure of filling in spaces, like coloring in a coloring book. The texture here is subtle – the tooth of the paper, the soft drag of the colored pencil. It's a very handmade feel, no attempt to hide the process. There is a small cluster of shapes in the top left corner. This looks like an experiment of the colors and shapes on a smaller scale before moving on to the main composition. Look at how the diagonal lines slice through the squares, creating these dynamic triangles of color. There is something very satisfying about the juxtaposition of the straight lines of the graph paper with the slightly wobbly lines of the hand-drawn shapes. This reminds me of some of Sol LeWitt's wall drawings. Both artists share an interest in geometric abstraction, but while LeWitt often emphasizes the systematic and conceptual aspects of his work, Zox brings a more playful and intuitive approach to his. Art is a conversation, after all.