Vertical Line from the series Line Form Color 1951

Ellsworth Kelly made "Vertical Line" as part of his series "Line Form Color," and it looks like he’s using the most basic elements to create something kinda profound. There's this creamy, off-white field, almost like the paper itself is the canvas, and then BAM, a straight black line cutting vertically through it. What I find cool is how Kelly’s not trying to hide the process. You can see the texture of the paint, how it sits on the surface. That single line, it’s not perfect. It wavers slightly, showing the hand of the artist, the human element. It’s like he’s saying, "Here it is, folks. A line. Deal with it." For me it recalls Agnes Martin’s work, but where she uses grids, Kelly just goes for the singular, bold statement. It's simple, but it makes you think about space, about what a line can do, about how we see. It’s a reminder that sometimes, less really is more.