Red in Red I 1965

Ernst Wilhelm Nay made this painting called Red in Red I, using oil on canvas. It looks like the painting came into being through trial, error, and intuition. I can imagine Nay in his studio, stepping back, squinting, and then lunging forward to make a mark. What do you think he was thinking? Maybe, ‘How can I make this red sing? What shapes will unlock the energy in this field of color?’ The paint isn't too thick, not too thin. The red is dominant, but there’s a playful yellow shape on the left. Then there are these strange white shapes that almost look like eyes, staring out at us. It's like Nay is having a conversation with Matisse, maybe even Klee, riffing on their ideas but pushing it into his own territory. The more I look, the more I see Nay in this painting—his energy, his curiosity, and his love of the game. Artists are always in conversation, aren't they? Passing ideas back and forth across time.