Canto VI 1963

Barnett Newman made this print, Canto VI, using lithography to explore a black rectangle bisected by a single white line. I can imagine him, in the print shop, wrestling with the stone. The solid black area is velvety and dense. It feels like a void, pushing forward. And then that white line, or "zip" as Newman called it. It's not perfect, is it? It has a kind of handmade quality, wavering slightly, like a breath. It creates a tension, disrupting the black field. I wonder if it was his intention to divide the picture plane or unite it? I see this print as part of a larger conversation. Newman was influenced by Mondrian, but he pushed beyond the grid, seeking a more direct, emotional form of expression. It’s a jumping-off point. I think he would be happy for us to consider this print, not as an answer, but as a question.