Untitled 1997

Lori Taschler’s Untitled, made with graphite on paper, feels like a hazy memory. The artist’s hand is so present in the smudging and blending, you can almost feel the pressure she applied, the circular motions she made, the softness of the graphite as it transferred onto the page. Look closely at the blurry, almost dreamlike quality of the composition. The two forms, reminiscent of doors or windows, are not sharply defined but emerge from a field of muted grays. The graphite is layered, creating depth and shadow, and the texture of the paper subtly shows through. The small, dark squares in the upper halves of the forms anchor the composition, creating a focal point that draws you in, but what do they signify? Taschler’s work reminds me of Agnes Martin’s subtle explorations of color and form. Like Martin, Taschler embraces a limited palette and repetitive motifs to create works that are both meditative and visually arresting. This piece invites us to slow down, to contemplate the beauty of simplicity, and to find meaning in the ambiguous.