Cargador 1920 - 1930

This is a painting called Cargador by Maya, it's a large piece, over six feet tall. The overall feel is quiet, meditative; like a well-worn blanket or piece of cloth. I imagine the artist starting with a pale ground, almost like watered-down coffee. Then, with a steady hand, they lay down these vertical stripes, alternating between off-white and a muted, grayish green. Look closely, and you can see the subtle variations in the stripes, the slight wobbles and imperfections that give the painting its handmade quality. It makes me think about Agnes Martin's quiet grids, but here there's something even more fragile and ethereal. It's as if the artist is inviting us into a space of contemplation, a place where we can slow down and appreciate the beauty of the imperfect and the handmade. Maybe the title Cargador, meaning carrier, suggests the painting is meant to be carried within us, a reminder of the simple beauty that can be found in repetition. It's like they're showing us how to look, and how to find our own way in the quiet.