Déplis 1979

Jean Degottex made this painting, Déplis, with paint on canvas, but when I don't know; and that's kind of the point. It's like he's trying to get to the essence of painting itself. The canvas is mostly blank, except for this vibrant blue rectangle at the bottom. It’s not a perfect rectangle, though, it’s got these soft, feathered edges where the color bleeds into the raw canvas. It's so simple, right? But then you notice these little drips of blue in the white space above, like the color is trying to escape its boundaries. I wonder if he used a dry brush to drag the paint down, leaving these tiny traces of movement. I’m reminded of the quiet intensity of Agnes Martin or maybe even the early, pared-down canvases of Robert Ryman. But Degottex has his own thing going on. It's like he’s saying, "Here's the bare minimum, now you fill in the rest." And that's what makes it so engaging. It lets your mind wander and wonder.