#3 1969

Karl Benjamin made this vibrant painting, titled #3, sometime during his career, probably using acrylic on canvas. The painting presents a series of interlocking geometric shapes in yellow, orange, red, and blue, creating the illusion of depth through the strategic placement of color. Looking closely, you can see the colors are laid down in flat, even fields, without any visible brushstrokes. The surface is smooth and opaque, which makes the colors pop. The precise edges of each shape are so crisp they appear almost machine-made, but I think that it is likely this was done by hand, with a lot of care. It reminds me a little of Josef Albers’ work on color relationships, where he explored how colors interact and change depending on their context. But in Benjamin’s piece, the colors feel more playful and less scientific, more about rhythm and movement. I think these works remind us that art is an ongoing conversation of ideas.