Untitled IV 1962

Esteban Vicente made this untitled print with lithography, and it’s all about the push and pull of color and shape. The juicy marks of black, blue, and orange create a real sense of play. The blue and orange areas are really saturated, like they're vibrating against the paper. Vicente’s marks aren’t overly precious, they embrace the kind of accidental beauty you get from just letting things happen. See how the black mark on the right kind of splays out, almost like an open hand? It feels so gestural and free, like he's daring you to find something specific in it. I think of Franz Kline in the way that he balances a sense of raw energy with formal control. For Vicente, and for me too, art isn't about answers, it's about opening up possibilities, embracing the unexpected, and just seeing where the process takes you.