Magic 14 1960

Alfred Jensen’s painting is a riot of colour laid down in thick, tactile strokes. I imagine him, brush in hand, building up these little squares like some kind of mathematical cake. He’s working towards something, right? Is it a secret code or a hidden pattern? The squares, in their jewel-like tones – red, yellow, green, blue, purple – are so intensely there, demanding your attention. There’s something raw and immediate about his method. And those little faces trapped in the blocks! I feel a kinship with Jensen as another painter trying to solve a puzzle with every brushstroke. We artists, we’re all in conversation with each other. He’s talking to Mondrian, maybe Klee, and so many others in the abstract tradition. Each artist contributes a verse to a visual poem that stretches across time. And like any poem worth reading, this painting keeps inviting new interpretations. It’s a space where meaning isn’t fixed but constantly unfolding.