Untitled n. 3 1999

Bracha Ettinger made this painting, Untitled n. 3, using washes of purple and pink paint that give the canvas a stained quality, like watercolor on fabric. I wonder what it was like to create this. Maybe Ettinger started with the grid, laying down those vertical bands first, and then built up the painting, filling in the spaces, layering and dissolving forms and colors. There are these almost floral shapes here, hints of a dark mass there, and a drip of red that feels so raw. The painting feels very internal. When I look at this, I think of other painters like Agnes Martin and Hilma af Klint who were trying to evoke inner states and connect with something beyond the surface of reality. Painting is like a conversation between artists across time, inspiring each other to look deeper. It shows that expression isn't always about answers; sometimes, it’s about embracing uncertainty and letting the ambiguity speak.