Untitled (White Out) 1991

Rirkrit Tiravanija made this diptych, probably with paper and ink or graphite, in order to, well, make nothing. At first glance, these side-by-side white pages seem to offer nothing, right? But maybe that’s the point. It’s like Tiravanija is asking, what does it mean to present absence? What does it mean to frame it, and hang it on a wall? I sympathize with him. The blank page can be daunting. It holds so much possibility, but also the terror of emptiness. I love how this work messes with our expectations. We think art has to be "something," but here, it’s the potential for something. In its quietness, it reminds me of some of Agnes Martin’s pale, grid-like paintings. Except here, it’s like even the grid has been erased. Maybe that’s where the title comes in, "White Out," suggesting the act of erasing, or cancelling. It’s a bold move to show nothing, and I think there’s something really powerful about that.