Red-Orange over Black 1970

Ellsworth Kelly made this print, Red-Orange over Black, using clean, crisp shapes and flat, unmodulated color. There’s an interesting dialogue happening between the two blocks of color: one assertive and warm, the other recessive and cool. The surface of the print is so smooth and even, it almost disappears. You can’t see any trace of the artist’s hand. Everything seems calculated and intentional, the opposite of my own messy approach to painting. But I find myself drawn to this kind of reduction. It’s like Kelly is asking: how little can I do and still make something that holds your attention? It reminds me of the cut-outs of Matisse, who also knew how to create a world of feeling with just a few simple shapes. Ultimately, it all boils down to relationships, how one color bounces off another, and how we, as viewers, complete the equation.