Voice 1974

Robert Morris made "Voice" out of painted plywood, and there's a lot of it! The simple geometric forms emphasize the experience of space, a concern that goes hand in hand with the minimalist movement. But let’s not be fooled by the austere appearance of this work. The matte surface of the painted wood absorbs and diffuses light, creating a subtle play of shadows that softens the otherwise rigid forms. I find it so interesting the way the arrangement of these objects subtly changes the architecture of the room; the negative spaces between the objects become shapes in their own right, defining the viewer’s path through the gallery. Morris’s engagement with phenomenology and spatial awareness reminds me of the work of Donald Judd or even Sol LeWitt, who also worked with serial geometric forms. But where Judd’s work feels more like a unified object, Morris’s arrangement invites the viewer to move around and between the pieces, experiencing the work in a more active and bodily way. There’s something playful, almost mischievous, about the way Morris uses simple forms to destabilize our sense of space and perspective.