Gem Manufacturing Company [Clips] 2009

Sarah Morris made 'Gem Manufacturing Company [Clips]' with screen printing, resulting in something clean and crisp. I imagine her carefully considering each colour, each line, each shape. There’s something so enticing about this hard-edged, geometric abstraction. The combination of round-ended bars and intersecting curves gives a sense of movement, like beads on an abacus, sliding around within their frame. What was she thinking when she conceived of it? The circles are like windows onto the canvas behind. There is a feeling of light and play; the colours speak to one another, reverberate, and harmonize, creating a really beautiful optical effect. Morris’ practice makes me think of other artists, like Bridget Riley and Lygia Clark, who explore visual perception, pushing our understanding of colour and form. Painting is a conversation, and we're all trying to learn from each other, across generations, across movements. It's a constant give-and-take, an inspiring exchange of ideas.