Untitled 1961

This Untitled artwork, by Charlotte Posenenske, is made using what looks like broad brushstrokes of deep blues and blacks on an off-white background. It’s all about the process, the physicality of moving paint around. Look closely, and you'll see how the paint isn’t trying to hide its application. It’s not smooth or blended. You can see the tracks and the slight variations in tone where the brush has been loaded with more or less paint. These thick, opaque blocks suggest a kind of raw, immediate expression. It’s like she’s not interested in illusion or representation, but more in the pure act of painting. The way these forms bump up against each other, creating a dynamic tension, reminds me a little of Franz Kline, but stripped down to an almost industrial simplicity. It’s like Posenenske is inviting us to consider the basic elements of art and of the world. In the end it’s a reminder that meaning isn’t fixed; it’s something we create through our own engagement and interpretations.