Untitled 1973

Max Bill made this print sometime in the mid-20th century, probably a screen print, based on those flat, graphic areas of color. I always look for the artist's hand, even in something so geometric, so my eyes go straight to the edges where the blocks of color meet. I'm drawn to the way Bill uses black as a color, not just as the absence of color. Look at how the black shapes push forward and create a rhythm with the other hues. The registration is so clean it almost looks digital, like the precision of a computer. But there's something about the slight imperfections that makes you feel the human element, like a really good jazz record. This piece reminds me a little of Sol LeWitt's wall drawings, in the sense that it is clean and systematic, but also lets you feel that generative process. It's a painting, but it's also a set of instructions; a score; an idea that can be repeated, like a song. Ultimately, art is just one big conversation.