Untitled 1981

Mira Schendel made this untitled square probably sometime in the 70s, from what looks like maybe paper and pigment. The surface is dark, and matte, a complex black built up from subtle variations, a kind of visual hush. At first, it seems like nothing is happening, and then slowly, the layering comes into focus, the material aspects begin to assert themselves. There is a kind of fold or darkening in the upper right corner, which is tonally different, perhaps casting a shadow. Schendel shares something with artists like Blinky Palermo, who similarly explored the potential of almost nothing, using subtle color and form to create meditative, deeply felt spaces. Art like this reminds us that meaning isn't always loud; it can be found in the quiet, in the careful attention to the simplest of forms. It's about slowing down, looking closely, and letting the work reveal itself to you.