I 1986

Brice Marden made "I" with wax and pigment on paper. It's not really about any grand statement, but more about the nitty-gritty of the act of painting itself, a process of layering and seeing what happens. The surface has this quality that makes you want to reach out and touch it. You can almost feel the waxiness, see the way the pigment sits. The green isn't just one flat color, but a whole bunch of greens mingling together, like a forest after the rain. Look closely at the edges of the green rectangle, where the color bleeds slightly into the surrounding space, and you might get a sense of how Marden let the materials do their thing, allowing for accidents and imperfections. It makes me think of Agnes Martin and her quiet, meditative grids, though Marden's got a bit more grit. It's a conversation, this painting, between artists across time, each adding their own little mark. Art isn't about answers; it's about asking questions, embracing the unknown.