Vert, Brun, Bleu, et Ochre 1974

Yves Gaucher made this color block painting, Vert, Brun, Bleu, et Ochre, sometime in the 20th century. Here, the colors are spread out, almost like geologic strata, or even a Rothko painting simplified. I can imagine Gaucher, stepping back, squinting, maybe tilting his head to one side, trying to get the colors to sit together just so. He’s probably thinking about relationships between the colors; how they pop, how they recede, how the top green affects the bottom ochre. The color is laid down in smooth, thin layers, so different from the way I work, layering and scraping. But it's inspiring to see this calm control. You know, every artist is in conversation with other artists. The way Gaucher simplified his painting really resonates with the work of Agnes Martin. It’s like they're both exploring a similar question, but with a different approach. And that’s the beauty of painting, there’s no one right answer, just endless possibilities.