B11 Box Bólide 09 1964

This painted box, B11 Box Bólide 09, was made by Helio Oiticica, and it's like a burst of sunshine in a room. Oiticica's got this way of making art feel like a verb, an action, a thing you do. Here, the bright yellows and oranges are layered on thick, like a cake, with a kind of raw, unblended energy. You can practically feel the texture, the grittiness of the pigment. It reminds me of my own studio sometimes, the way the material takes over and starts dictating the moves. Look at the way one of the drawers has been pulled out, revealing a little pool of pure yellow pigment. It's like the piece is breathing, inviting you to get your hands dirty. It makes you think about what's hidden, what's revealed, and how color itself can be a kind of architecture. Eva Hesse's playful use of materials comes to mind, but with a Latin American, carnival twist. Ultimately, this piece speaks to the idea that art is never really finished, it is always in process, always changing and inviting new interpretations.