Master of the Universe 2010

Mel Bochner made this word painting, Master of the Universe, origin unknown, with paint on two panels. The language jumps out, right? All those boasts and taunts! The colors are bright and cheerful but the tone is anything but. You can see the brushstrokes in the background and the letters are not perfect. There’s something really refreshing about that imperfection. It reminds us that art is a process, not just an end product. It’s about the doing, the thinking, the feeling. The material aspect of the work is striking. The texture is smooth, the colors are vibrant, and the surface is matte. It's clear the paint wasn't applied thickly, but in even layers, making it easy to read. Look how the dot after "ENCHLADA" almost melts into the background, adding a touch of humor. It reminds me of Ed Ruscha's word paintings, but with a little more bite. It's that blend of the visual and the conceptual, that makes Bochner's work so enduring.