QUAD (897) 1997

Creighton Michael made QUAD (897) with graphite and ink on paper, and right away, you can see the thinking at play. It's all about the lines, how they dance and intersect, creating a kind of spatial puzzle. The surface has this delicate, almost translucent quality, with layers of ink that feel like whispers. The black lines are confident, mapping out shapes that hover between the geometric and the organic. See how they sometimes fade or bleed, revealing the hand of the artist, the push and pull of the medium. Look at the bottom right corner, where the lines converge and fragment. It’s almost like a secret code, an invitation to untangle the composition's threads. I am reminded of Brice Marden's use of line. Like him, Michael invites us to see the beauty in simplicity. Ultimately, QUAD (897) invites us to embrace the beauty of ambiguity.