Imploding Cosmos 1992

Richard Pousette-Dart made this painting, called Imploding Cosmos, with what looks like countless tiny strokes. It feels like the painting grew organically, each mark a response to the one before. Up close, the surface is a mosaic of warm browns, tans, and creams, with the occasional pop of turquoise. The paint isn't thick, but the sheer number of marks creates a subtle texture. The way Pousette-Dart built up these layers makes me think of Agnes Martin, but where she uses grids, he uses a radial structure that seems to both expand and contract at the same time. Focusing on a single cluster of strokes, I see how each one is distinct, yet they all blend together to form the larger image. It’s like individual thoughts coming together to form a bigger idea, or maybe even a feeling. Pousette-Dart's paintings show how art embraces ambiguity and invites multiple interpretations.