Red Twelve 1965

Thomas Downing made "Red Twelve" with paint, placing twelve red circles onto an off-white lozenge-shaped canvas. I imagine Downing in his studio, carefully mapping out each circle, each a slightly different shade of red. There's a dance between precision and intuition here. The hard edge of the lozenge meets the softness of the circles, and the variation in the reds gives the whole thing a kind of pulsing energy. I wonder if Downing was thinking about color theory, or maybe he was just feeling the joy of putting red next to red, and letting the subtle differences sing. I think of Kenneth Noland and the other Color Field painters. There's something about the way Downing uses color to create space and movement that feels connected to their work, yet still uniquely his. Ultimately, painting is just one big conversation, each artist adding their voice to the mix. It’s about embracing the questions, the uncertainties, and trusting that something meaningful will emerge, and that the viewers will respond.