Thalocropolis 1966

Al Held made this hard-edged painting, Thalocropolis, at some point in his career. The way the black and white areas push against each other makes me think of a city, or some kind of diagram, maybe for a board game? Looking closely, you can see the paint is applied in solid, flat areas, and the black has a slight sheen. It's not trying to trick you into thinking it’s anything other than paint on canvas. I love the texture of the black, it’s been brushed on and you can almost feel the back and forth motion. At the bottom, there is a single block of yellow. It's such a small area but it really pops. It's like a little surprise, or a key to the whole thing. Held’s work reminds me a little of Frank Stella, who also liked to play with geometry and color. But Held has a certain rawness that sets him apart. Ultimately, it feels open-ended. There's no one right way to see it.