Untitled No. 6 1957

Forrest Bess made this painting, "Untitled No. 6," with oil paint, and what strikes me first is how elemental it feels, like it’s about pure form and color. Look at the pink! It's almost aggressively pink, a field of color that's both soothing and kind of confrontational. Then there's that red orb, hovering with such presence. The surface has this incredible texture, it’s almost as if you can trace the path of his brushstrokes as they build up the form of the red orb, you can almost see the decisions he’s making in real time. And above, a jagged, dark form looms, punctuated by these small blue spots that read like eyes. Bess wasn't interested in slick surfaces or perfect illusions. He was after something rawer, something more immediate, and that’s clear in every brushstroke. It reminds me of Hilma af Klint's more symbolic works, but Bess has stripped everything back to this potent, almost childlike simplicity. Art isn't about answers; it's about the questions we ask along the way.