Study for Rebound 1955

Ellsworth Kelly made "Study for Rebound" with black paint on paper. Looking at this study, I imagine Kelly was exploring the interplay between positive and negative space, feeling his way through form with intuitive gestures. It's like he's asking, "What happens when two shapes almost touch, when they're in dialogue but not quite connected?" I can almost see him in the studio, moving the brush, stepping back, tweaking the curves. The white space becomes as important as the black, defining the contours and giving the whole composition a sense of dynamic tension. What’s so nice about the painting is how it's not overworked, you know? It has a raw, immediate quality that invites us to contemplate the beauty of simplicity, echoing some of Matisse’s cut-outs, perhaps.