Pond 8 1976

Warren Rohrer made "Pond 8" with paint, and maybe a few other things, to get that incredible surface. It is so quiet, so unassuming, but it holds you there. The colors are muted, like earth, or maybe something underwater, which gets me thinking about the physicality of the paint. It's not just color, it's texture, it's the way the light catches on those little ridges. I love how you can almost see the tool marks, like Rohrer was building up the surface, layer by layer. There's one part, near the bottom, where the lines seem to break apart a little, like the water's surface is rippling. It reminds me of Agnes Martin, but more tactile, less about pure geometry, and more about, well, the pond itself. It’s this quiet attention to detail that makes this piece so special. It’s like he’s inviting us to slow down and really look.