Random Distribution of 40,000 Squares Using the Odd and Even Numbers of a Telephone Directory (detail) 1971

Francois Morellet made this painting called "Random Distribution of 40,000 Squares Using the Odd and Even Numbers of a Telephone Directory" – can you imagine?! It feels like the kind of project you get lost in, and then find something else entirely. The whole surface is alive with tiny squares, blue and red. I’m always drawn to how artists make decisions, and Morellet seems to have embraced chance, using a telephone directory to determine the placement of each square. I can almost imagine him flipping through the pages, letting the numbers guide his hand. Look closely, and you'll notice how the colors vibrate against each other. The texture is smooth and even. It's interesting to think about how such a rigid system can still produce something so visually stimulating. It reminds me a bit of Sol LeWitt, but with a playful twist. Art, ultimately, is this ongoing conversation, a dance between intention and accident, order and chaos. It’s the unexpected that keeps things interesting.