New York City I 1942

Piet Mondrian made ‘New York City I’ at some point in his career, using paint on canvas, and it now lives in the Pompidou Center in Paris. I can only imagine Mondrian in his studio, carefully plotting each line with a sense of absolute determination. How many attempts? How much agony over each color, each intersection? The red and yellow feel assertive, popping against the quieter blue. Look how thin the paint is, almost like a watercolor! It's like he's trying to strip painting down to its bare bones—color, line, and surface—asking, "What is painting, really?" I can't help but think of Agnes Martin, who also made grids but in a totally different mood. Mondrian is all about the city, progress, and some kind of utopia. But, for me, painting is also about letting go and embracing the unexpected. It's like a conversation, a back-and-forth between you and the canvas. It’s a constant push and pull.