Washington D.C. #1 1971

Edward Corbett made this painting, Washington D.C. #1, at an unknown date with an approach to mark making which feels very open and process-oriented, as if the creation of the work was more important than the end result. The thing that jumps out at me is this vertical stripe, like a piece of tape, or the memory of one, sitting on top of the white surface. It isn’t quite a line; it has a kind of fuzzy, imperfect edge, which gives it a presence, like a body in space. And then there’s the off-kilter green line, a gesture that adds a touch of the unexpected. It cuts across the apparent order of the piece. For me, abstract art like this is less about what it represents and more about how it makes you feel. It reminds me a little of Agnes Martin, but with a more playful, less serious touch. It embraces ambiguity and multiple interpretations over fixed meanings, something that all the best art should aspire to.