Untitled 1963

David Smith made this Untitled work using spray paint on paper, and what grabs me is how he seemed to want to have it both ways. He's stenciling hard-edged geometric shapes but then, by spraying, he's also allowing the paint to bleed and blur, creating a sense of atmosphere with an industrial edge. You can imagine Smith playing with the push and pull of intention and chance, control and chaos. There’s a sort of totem here, with its stacked forms hovering in space, and a palette of gray and white that’s both ghostly and solid. It has a surreal quality that reminds me of the work of Joan Miró, but with a more machinic feel. This piece feels very connected to Smith's sculptures, where he also explores the relationship between geometric forms and open space. It's like he's using the spray paint to sketch out his ideas, letting the medium guide him toward something new. And ultimately, isn't that what art is all about?