Untitled, 94E006 1994

Kathleen Petyarre, sometime around the turn of the millennium, made this painting with a meticulous hand, each dot a tiny decision. There's a real meditative quality, a focus on process, that just draws you in. The ochre, grey, and gold hues ripple across a black ground. The way the lines undulate, it’s almost like looking at a landscape from above, fields plowed into organic shapes. Check out the very top line. See how it wavers slightly? That little break in the pattern is where the artist takes a breath. It’s that kind of personal touch that makes the painting sing. It feels intimate, human. Petyarre’s work reminds me of Agnes Martin, in the use of lines and grids, but with a very different cultural and material sensibility. Both artists create work that invites contemplation, but while Martin tends toward minimalism, Petyarre embraces the earthly and the handmade. Art’s a conversation, right?