Ringaround Arosie 1965

Eva Hesse made "Ringaround Arosie" using paint and cord on board, and what strikes me about the piece is the commitment to process. The cord is wound in tight circles, almost obsessive in its repetition, around two circular forms, one slightly smaller than the other. There's a real tactile quality to it, a sense of the hand at work. The contrast of the raised forms against the mottled gray background makes you want to reach out and touch the surface. I love how the red paint around the circles almost vibrates against the gray. There's something slightly off-kilter about the symmetry, like the circles are slightly misaligned, which makes the piece feel more alive. I'm reminded of the drawings of Agnes Martin, who explored similar ideas of repetition and subtle variation. Both Hesse and Martin encourage us to slow down and pay attention to the small details, and it's in those details that the real magic happens.