Untitled (vapor drawing) 1978

This 'Untitled (vapor drawing)' was created by Larry Bell in 1978. It is a beautiful drawing of soft edges. I can almost see the mist the artist used and the way that it seems to have been gently coaxed into the shape we now see. I wonder, when Bell was making this, if he was thinking about the light in his native California? Or was he instead interested in playing with the geometry? I see beams of light that have been broken and refracted. The way that the light is distributed is key to making this artwork, I imagine. What I mean is that some areas are almost totally bleached while others remain in shadow. What an interesting paradox. The surface of the artwork is smooth, giving the effect of having been rendered with soft pastels. It is a really interesting piece and continues the conversations about light and form.