Paths through the Studio 2012

Spencer Finch made these colourful line drawings called Paths through the Studio. The lines, like yarn, suggest a kind of unravelling, or a mapping of space that is both intuitive and somewhat arbitrary, which really appeals to me. What's fascinating is the relationship between the simplicity of the line and the complexity of the space it creates. The colors, too, seem deliberately chosen for their directness, with no blending or shading, allowing the eye to move freely across the surface. See how each line seems to have a life of its own, a kind of visual stutter, suggesting movement and direction? I love how Finch embraces this kind of immediacy. It reminds me a little of Sol LeWitt's wall drawings, but with a more personal, almost diaristic feel. In the end, art's all about having a conversation, right? And these pieces are definitely inviting us to join in.