Untitled 2001

This grid of paintings by Moon Pil Shim vibrates with color, each square a concentrated study in horizontal lines. I can imagine the artist, so focused, almost in a trance, pulling the brush across the surface again and again. You know, painting is about repetition. What was he thinking as he made these lines? Was it about the meditative process, the sheer physicality of mark-making? I wonder if each panel began with a single color and then, through layers, gained depth and complexity? Look at how the color is built, a thick, almost topographical surface that catches the light in different ways. Think of Agnes Martin’s grids, but with a juicy, visceral quality. I love the way the consistent format emphasizes the subtle shifts in color and texture, each painting a variation on a theme. It’s like he’s having a conversation with other painters across time, with each stroke, he is creating a rhythm that asks us to slow down and really see.