Untitled 1969

This untitled painting was made with acrylic by Edward Avedisian sometime in the last century. The color palette here is so mid-century modern, isn't it? Salmon, teal, and a kinda lemony yellow. He's really thinned the paint down here, and in places, you can see the weave of the canvas showing through. I like the way these shapes, the circles and the four-pointed star, seem to float. Avedisian is really playing with positive and negative space in this piece. I'm drawn to the slight unevenness of the painted rings around the teal circles. It makes me think of the way that hard-edge painting can flirt with a looser, more handmade feel. Like he's using the contrast to ask how much of the artist's hand should be visible. This reminds me a little of work by Ellsworth Kelly, especially in the way that simple shapes can create a sense of calm and balance. But there's also a little bit of humor, a playful looseness.