Red Star 1949

Carmen Herrera’s ‘Red Star’ is a painting of hard-edged shapes rendered in stark black and vivid red. I can imagine Herrera in her studio, carefully planning each move before applying the paint so precisely. Look at the way the black and red shapes meet, creating clean, razor-sharp lines. What I find exciting here is the sense of control and exactness, which is counterbalanced by the pure emotional impact of the colors. This isn’t just about geometry; it’s about feeling, too. The way the red star shoots across the black ground reminds me of Malevich’s Suprematist compositions, but with Herrera’s unique take on abstraction. Painters are always responding to one another, whether directly or indirectly, forming an ongoing dialogue across time. With its bold simplicity and confident execution, Herrera’s painting invites us to find our own meaning, too.