Untitled 1999

Moon Pil Shim made this untitled painting, and I'm drawn to its earthy palette and the way the paint has been meticulously layered on the surface. It's as if the act of painting itself becomes a meditative process. I can imagine Pil Shim standing in the studio, carefully applying each stroke, perhaps lost in thought, or maybe just present in the moment. The thick impasto of the reddish-brown square contrasts with the pale, almost ghostly, white panel beside it. The texture invites you to reach out and touch it, to feel the ridges and valleys created by the artist's hand. That single daub of bright red on the dark square is so loaded. Is it a tear? An accent? I’m reminded of the way Agnes Martin worked, with a similar dedication to process and repetition, or maybe even the quiet intensity of a Morandi still life. Painting can be a slow burn, a conversation with oneself and with other artists across time. What a beautiful way to be in the world.