Red Orange Studio Painting 2004

Phil Sims made this "Red Orange Studio Painting" with what looks like just red-orange paint! It's amazing how one color can do so much. Up close, you really get a sense of the physicality here. The paint isn't brushed on smoothly; it has a textured surface, like he’s dabbed the paint on. I wonder what kind of tool he used, a brush or maybe a sponge? It almost looks like it’s been built up slowly, one layer at a time. There is something so satisfying about seeing the evidence of the maker’s hand. This piece reminds me a little of Agnes Martin’s subtle grids, but where she's all about quiet lines, Sims is all about quiet color. It’s a meditative kind of painting, one that invites you to slow down and really see what's there, even when it seems like there's not much to see, if you know what I mean?