Apyu by Paul Feeley

1963

Apyu

Listen to curator's interpretation

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Curatorial notes

Paul Feeley's "Apyu" is a game of chromatic seesaw done with paint. Look at the red, so flat it practically vibrates! Two sinuous lines dance up the canvas, painted with a crispness that belies the human hand. The yellow and blue, side by side, have this fantastic push-pull effect, making you wonder if they're advancing or receding. The painting feels like a set of directions – to skip and hop. Each curve feels like a decision, not labored, but definite, and each color has its own weight. It’s got a similar feel to Ellsworth Kelly's pared-down shapes, but Feeley’s got this wiggle that keeps it from getting too serious. It knows life is a dance, and sometimes you just gotta let the paint lead the way.