Agrigento 1970

Joyce Kozloff created this artwork, Agrigento, with lines and geometric colour blocking. I see rectangles of muted olives, blues, browns, reds, and yellows. The grid-like pattern is softened by the painting medium, but it still makes me think of mapping. I wonder what Kozloff was thinking about, and if she was traveling to far-off lands when she made it? Maybe a place like Italy, which is a very painterly place. I can imagine standing in front of the canvas, armed with brushes and oils, each stroke adding texture, depth, and a story. The lines running vertically almost vibrate, like memories stacked on top of each other. Looking at this piece, I feel like I'm in conversation not only with Kozloff but with all painters who have attempted to capture a place, a feeling, a memory, in a grid.