Untitled 1965

Eva Hesse’s Untitled work is an intriguing dance of shapes and colors, probably made with gouache and pencil. The palette is restrained, yet each color feels purposeful, like a character in a play. Look at how the black outlines define the forms, but they also seem to wobble, hinting at the instability and ephemerality of the image. It’s as if Hesse is saying, "Here’s an idea, but it’s not fixed; it’s in flux.” My eye is drawn to the stacked, watch-like forms on the right side of the piece. They are so precise, but also slightly off, as if time itself is a bit wonky. This is something that interests me in my own practice, this feeling that the image is not a window into the world, but a world unto itself. I'm reminded of Francis Picabia's mechanistic drawings and paintings, though Hesse’s approach is less ironic, more about embracing the vulnerability of form and meaning. Hesse encourages us to embrace ambiguity and the multiplicity of interpretations.