White and Black 1952

Ellsworth Kelly made this painting, "White and Black," without a date, using just that: white and black paint. Look how the solid, blocky forms feel like a dare. The straightforwardness of the composition—rectangles stacked and lined up in a simple grid—belies the subtle play of surface and texture. The black paint almost seems to absorb the light, creating a depth that contrasts with the stark, flat white rectangles. Notice the way the edges aren't perfectly crisp. There’s a slight feathering, a kind of gentle give and take between the shapes. The black seeps into the white, and the white sits on top of the black, like a paper cut-out. Up close, I can almost see the individual brushstrokes, the physical act of applying the paint. Kelly is like Mondrian in that he is interested in the pure essence of form, but there’s something about his work that feels uniquely American. It’s stripped down, bold, and immediate, but also kind of zen. Is there room to breath?