Green Form 1959

Ellsworth Kelly made this “Green Form” using paint on a found piece of newspaper. It looks like he was inspired by the newsprint itself! That bright, almost acidic green—so deliberate, so bold—laid right on top of the old print. You can see the ghost of what was there before. The green is applied pretty thickly in some areas, giving it a real presence, and it almost obliterates the Easter advertisement beneath. I wonder what Kelly was thinking as he made this? Was he interested in the idea of defacing something, or repurposing it? Maybe he was just playing. The gesture feels immediate, like a quick burst of energy. The way it covers and reveals at the same time is like a painting version of hide-and-seek. It is fascinating how artists like Kelly can take something as humble as a piece of newspaper and turn it into a site of inquiry, a space for seeing the world in new and unexpected ways.