untitled (T-formiges Objekt mit Gouache) 1972

This piece, by Blinky Palermo, an untitled gouache work with a T-form, plays with a reduced color palette and simple geometry, and is a great example of how process can become the main event in art. Look closely at the square on the left. The application of gouache is far from uniform. You can see where Palermo has allowed the paint to pool and blend, creating these atmospheric effects within the self-imposed restrictions of the square and the horizontal stripe. The textures vary from smooth and opaque to almost translucent. Notice that ragged edge on the left-hand side, where the paint seems to have been applied, scraped, and reapplied. It’s like a landscape in miniature. Palermo’s work reminds me of Agnes Martin, in the sense that both artists use minimalist forms to evoke complex emotional and perceptual responses. Like all good art, it favors questions over answers, and that’s what keeps it alive.