Untitled 1962

Burgoyne Diller made this untitled drawing with pencil and crayon. The careful, almost architectural way the shapes are built up reminds me that artmaking can be a form of problem solving. Look at how Diller uses the simplest materials—graphite and crayon—to create something that feels both precise and open-ended. The textures are soft, almost velvety, with the layered strokes of the pencils. The colors, limited to grays, blues and yellows, feel both calming and quietly intense. Notice that little blue square, how it anchors the composition, adding a touch of warmth. It’s a small detail, but it changes the whole feeling of the piece. Diller's work reminds me a little of Mondrian's, though perhaps more tentative and human. Like all good art, this piece is less about answers and more about the questions it provokes.