Untitled 1963

David Smith made this spray paint on paper artwork, sometime around the mid twentieth century. Looking at it, I’m struck by the way he’s built it up from simple geometric shapes. It’s almost like he's created a language from scratch, using circles, squares, and rectangles. The surface has this cool, speckled texture, kind of grainy, which suggests that the paint was applied using a spray gun or airbrush. The white paint feels like it's floating on top of the darker background, creating a sense of depth and movement. The bottom circle gently rests on a small block, a base like his sculptures have. I find myself looking at the top circle in particular. The square shape bumping into the curve makes me think about how we try to fit into boxes, or how we break free from them. Smith's sculptures are obviously a huge influence here. Artists like him, and maybe even Picasso, taught us that art is about exploring, questioning, and finding new ways to see the world. It's about possibilities, not answers.