Bindweed, dodder 1946

Qi Baishi painted "Bindweed, dodder," in 1946, with what looks like watercolor on paper, and the thing I notice first is this airy but direct approach to mark-making. It's a process that embraces both control and chance, as if each stroke is a carefully considered yet spontaneous response. Look at how the paper breathes through the image, informing the color, and holding the forms like a cool mist. It's like he's playing with the very idea of emptiness, or negative space. The redness of the flowers feels so rich and concentrated because of the emptiness surrounding it. I'm drawn to the upper right corner where the leaves overlap, some more grey and opaque, some translucent; you can see the ghost of the red flower just beneath. This piece reminds me of Brice Marden's work, in that they both have a calligraphic approach that pulls from history but still manages to be incredibly present. It really emphasizes how art is an ongoing dialogue, always referencing and reinterpreting what came before.