Untitled 1962

Genevieve Asse created this untitled painting with oil on canvas, using a very light palette. It’s very process-oriented; it’s like she let the painting happen, instead of trying to force an idea. Look at the way the colour is applied, so thin, almost like a watercolour. It’s not about showing off brushstrokes or anything like that. Instead, the focus is on the surface of the canvas, and the way the light hits it. The colours all seem to be fighting to disappear. Notice the way the pink, orange and yellow blend, almost imperceptibly. The paint feels dry and chalky, not slick or oily at all. It makes me think of Agnes Martin, another painter who used a very restrained palette. They’re both interested in creating a very quiet, contemplative space. Art like this reminds me that ambiguity is okay, and that paintings don’t have to be about one thing only.