Summer Table 1972

Brice Marden made this painting, Summer Table, with oil and wax on canvas. Look at the way Marden builds up the color; the surfaces feel soft, almost like skin. There’s a real physicality here. The paint isn’t just on the surface, it *is* the surface. I’m drawn to the edge where the yellow panel meets the grey on the left. You can see how the yellow has slightly bled into the grey, creating this hazy, in-between zone. It’s not a hard edge, but a soft, blurred boundary. It makes me think about the way colors can influence each other, how they change depending on what they’re next to. The painting becomes a record of the artist's process, a testament to the unpredictable nature of color interactions. Marden's work shares a certain spirit with Agnes Martin; both artists find depth and complexity in simplicity. The paintings invite contemplation, encouraging us to slow down and really look. I think these works remind us that art is a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas, and it is never truly finished.