OE 280 (Komposition in Rot mit Weiß und Blau) 1959

Rupprecht Geiger made this painting using what looks like layered spray paint to create something both simple and complex. You might initially think, “Oh, just color blocks,” but look closer at how those colors meet and blend. The physicality here is all about the surface. It's smooth, almost like velvet, but with that subtle texture that tells you it’s been built up slowly. See how the red at the bottom seems to glow, almost vibrating against the dark band above? It’s not just red, it’s a whole experience of redness. Then your eye goes to that bright blue rectangle at the top, like a lid holding everything in. It reminds me of Rothko, but with a kind of graphic punch. Geiger, like Rothko, is using color to get right into your gut. There is no narrative here, just pure feeling, and isn't that what art is all about?