“Untitled” 1991

Felix Gonzalez-Torres made this stack of paper, entitled “Untitled”, with offset print on paper, somewhere between 1988-1991. It's interesting how such a seemingly simple gesture—a stack of paper—can carry so much weight. The black surface, punctuated by white text, feels both formal and deeply personal. The lack of embellishment makes the work seem very direct, as if the artist doesn't want to distract from the core message. Up close, you can see the texture of the paper and the crispness of the print. The stack has a physical presence; it's something you can touch and take away. It's a bit like a Robert Ryman painting, but instead of white paint on canvas, we have a stack of paper, which is something that implicates the viewer in a very direct way, a metaphor for fragility and the act of remembrance. Gonzalez-Torres often used everyday objects to explore themes of love, loss, and memory, echoing the ephemeral nature of life itself. His work reminds us that art can be found in the simplest of things, and that meaning is often created through our own experiences and interpretations.