Untitled 1966

Marcelle Cahn made this untitled work in 1966, and it looks like she made it from paper, pastel, and collage. I love the way she uses these materials to make a world, kind of like a map. There's a real sense of play here – paper cut and peeled back, a little pin holding it all together. It makes me think of Kurt Schwitters, but somehow more subtle and quiet. Check out the little blue pin in the middle. It feels so delicate, like it's holding the whole thing together. And then the white pastel marks, scrawled in these almost frantic gestures, set against the smooth surface of the paper. It's a really interesting mix of control and letting go. Cahn's work is all about experimenting and pushing the boundaries of what art can be. It's like she's having a conversation with the materials, and we get to listen in. It shows that sometimes the most powerful art comes from the simplest means, and that art is really an ongoing conversation across time.