Natura Morta 1962

Giorgio Morandi made this still life painting, Natura Morta, sometime in the 20th century using oil on canvas. Morandi’s colour palette is muted, almost monochromatic, it's all soft greys, browns and whites, creating a sense of stillness. Up close, you can see the texture of the paint, how each brushstroke builds up the surface. The paint is applied in a way that feels both deliberate and accidental. Look at the way the light catches the edges of the bottles, how he uses subtle variations in tone to create a sense of depth and volume. The forms are simplified. Morandi painted the same subject matter over and over again, and I think it reflects how, as an artist, you can keep finding new things in the same old stuff. It reminds me a little of Agnes Martin, in that both artists find so much depth in simplicity. Art’s an ongoing conversation.