From Point 1975

Lee Ufan made From Point in 1975, and the work involves the repetition of very simple marks. It’s all about process with a single color, and you get a sense of how the painting evolves with each stroke. The surface is built up with these marks, layer after layer, and you can really see the physicality of the paint itself. Each stroke has a life of its own; it’s like the brush was loaded with a certain amount of paint and then released it onto the paper, almost like a raindrop. See how the concentration of pigment varies across the image, some marks are very subtle, like afterthoughts, while others are loaded with colour. This process reminds me of Agnes Martin, whose work is also about repetition and subtle variation. Neither artist is trying to create an illusion or represent something, but instead, they’re interested in the experience of making and looking, and it’s kind of an open-ended invitation.