Orange, Black Painting with Blue Edge, and Burgundy 2011

Robert Irwin made this painting, Orange, Black Painting with Blue Edge, and Burgundy, to, I think, find out what happens when you put these colours together. It’s like he’s asking, “What do these colours do to each other, and to me?” Making paintings is like performing an experiment. I imagine him in the studio, trying different combinations, maybe starting with one colour and then adding another, seeing how they vibrate together. It’s like a dance, right? A dance with colour and light. The orange feels warm, the black is like a deep breath, and the blue… well, the blue is like a little spark. And the burgundy adds a touch of richness. Painters learn from each other. It’s a conversation that goes on across time. One artist does something, and then another artist responds, and it just keeps going. Irwin might have been looking at Rothko, or maybe even Matisse. All painters are in this conversation, trying to figure out what painting can do, and what it can mean. It's never fixed, but it's a conversation that is exciting to be a part of.