Hexagon with turquoise lines 1980

This painting by Florin Maxa features a green hexagon shot through with pale blue lines. I wonder if the artist started with the hexagon, or began with a system of geometric forms. Painting, for me, is always a process of emergence. I often have no idea what the result will look like when I begin! Imagine Maxa, mixing his colours, starting with an idea, only to abandon it, and try another. Maybe he built up the green ground first, letting it dry before beginning the linear design. I love the way the turquoise pops against that brownish green – it makes me think of the Italian Renaissance and the colours of painters like Paolo Uccello, who was fascinated by geometric forms. Like all painters, Maxa is in conversation with art history, building on what has come before. And, like all good paintings, this piece invites us to ask questions, and to look at the world in new ways.