Untitled (farbfeld) 1986

Gunther Forg made this untitled, or *farbfeld*, painting with a deceptively simple arrangement of blocks of color. What hits me first is how the boundaries between each field of color is so crisp, so decisive. It’s as if the colors themselves are independent actors, each staking its claim on the canvas, which reminds me that the process of artmaking is like a conversation, each gesture a response to the last. Look closely and you will see the paint handling is economical. It gives the effect of a seamless, almost mechanically reproduced surface, where the colors are evenly distributed, and the subtle variations in texture are almost invisible. It's not hard to think of someone like Barnett Newman here, who also sought to use colour and scale to evoke the sublime. Yet where Newman's zips create a dynamic tension, Forg's color fields have a more serene and contemplative quality. It's this ability to engage with the history of painting while forging his own path that makes Forg's work so compelling. It’s a reminder that art is always in conversation with itself, building upon what came before while daring to venture into new territory.