Yellow Orange 1968

Ellsworth Kelly made 'Yellow Orange' using flat colours within a hard-edge style. I can imagine Kelly thinking and rethinking the design, stripping back, and distilling until only the essential forms remain. It's like he's asking, "What is the bare minimum needed to create an experience?" The smooth surfaces feel very considered. He's using colour and shape to create something that sits between painting and sculpture. There's a real conversation happening between these shapes. The black background makes them feel as though they’re pushing forward out of the frame. The yellow square seems to be arguing with the orange form, asking: how can hard edges still create tension and harmony? Kelly reminds us that painting is not just about representation but about pure sensation and perception. He's part of an ongoing conversation among artists who want to expand our sense of what painting can be, and do.