Untitled 1962

Burgoyne Diller made this untitled drawing with pencil and crayon on paper. I love how the grey pencil feels so substantial, like a real thing in space. The way Diller filled each block with marks, some horizontal, some diagonal, gives the surface a kind of woven texture. You can almost feel the rhythm of his hand moving back and forth. And then there's the occasional pop of pure color – that yellow and blue are like little jolts of energy! Notice the way the black section at the bottom anchors the entire structure, giving it weight and gravity. This reminds me a little of Agnes Martin, although she comes at minimalism from a more ethereal place. Diller is very matter-of-fact, almost like a builder laying bricks. It's all about the process, the physicality of making, and finding beauty in the simplest of forms.