Oct. 23, 1989 (from Today Series, Monday) 1989

On Kawara created "Oct. 23, 1989" as part of his "Today Series," a meditation on time. The artwork presents a dark monochrome canvas, punctuated by the stark, white declaration of the date. The composition is simple, yet the date, rendered in a precise, sans-serif font, hovers in the centre of the canvas. The dark background contrasts with the date’s clarity, creating a visual tension, a dichotomy between void and presence. Kawara’s work examines how we mark time and existence. The date functions as a signifier, both anchoring and destabilizing meaning. The painting disrupts conventional temporal experience, challenging fixed notions of time. The very act of painting the date becomes a performance, a ritualistic recording of existence. Consider how Kawara plays with absence and presence, with form and concept. How does this stark depiction of a single day destabilize our understanding of time itself?