Interférences en rouge et gris (No. 640) 1963

Antonio Asis made this painting, Interferences en rouge et gris, with paint; a series of overlapping circles in various shades of red, grey, black, and white. It's a trip, right? Like a target practice gone wild! Looking at it, I see how each circle is built from simple, careful bands of color. The paint looks pretty smooth, maybe even a little thin, which makes the hard edges of those bands pop. There’s a tension here between the flatness of the surface and the dizzying effect of the pattern. I love how the circles bump into each other, creating these weird, unexpected shapes. It’s almost like a puzzle, or a map of some strange, new world. It reminds me a little of Bridget Riley's Op Art, but with a warmer feel, like a sunset instead of a strobe light. What I mean is, that art is an ongoing conversation. It’s not about having all the answers, but about asking the right questions.