Untitled 1967

Luchita Hurtado made this untitled piece with paint in vertical bands of blue and black. She’s working with process here: a kind of methodical, all-over approach to mark making. Up close, you can see the paint's texture, how the blues and blacks mingle, almost fighting for space. It’s neither thin nor thick, but just right to let the colors breathe and almost vibrate. There are these little drips and splatters, which hint at Hurtado's hand moving across the surface, like she’s tracing the shapes she sees in her mind’s eye. Notice that one mark in the center panel; it's a dense black form, almost like a seed, and it anchors the whole piece. Looking at this work, I’m reminded of the paintings of Agnes Martin. Both artists embrace a kind of meditative repetition, trusting that something profound will emerge from the simplest of gestures. Ultimately, Hurtado's painting shows us that art isn’t about answers, but about opening up questions and embracing ambiguity.