Colored paper images II, State 1976

Editor: Here we have Ellsworth Kelly's "Colored Paper Images II, State," created in 1976. It's a lithograph and mixed-media print. I'm struck by the balance - or perhaps the tension - between those two stark green semi-circles. What do you make of its simplicity? Curator: Simplicity? Darling, it’s deceptive. I think it hums with potential. See how those almost-circles barely kiss at the center, that narrow white space between them? For me, it's like holding my breath underwater - that delicious anticipation just before you need to gasp. Editor: So you see it as full of… energy? I initially saw it as quite calm. Curator: Calm is the surface. Look closer. The texture of the green isn’t flat, is it? It’s got this rough, almost… urgent feel to it. Kelly's playing with our perception, making us question what's solid, what's void. Think about his other works—he loved pushing the boundaries of shape and colour. Don't you get the sense he's toying with something profound here, maybe even the basic building blocks of seeing? Editor: That makes me think of Kelly as a bit of a minimalist magician! It's fascinating how he achieves such a visual punch with so little, making you really *see*. Curator: Exactly! The piece pulls you in. It might be minimalist, but it demands a response. I always find myself wondering what secrets those near-circles are whispering. Maybe it's about what happens in the in-between spaces – that is the real beauty. Editor: I'm going to walk away and let that sink in for a bit. I definitely see it differently now. Curator: Good! Now, go find another mystery and poke at it with your sharp, student mind! The fun is in the question, not always in the answer.