Untitled 2000

This is a small oil painting by Etel Adnan, made with generous, trowel-like strokes. It is a symphony of shape and color. I imagine her standing at her easel, carefully mixing these lovely muted tones, applying them to the canvas. The paint is thick, almost sculptural. The more I look at it, the more I see Adnan working—her small but assertive moves, the scrapes, the smears, the gentle touch. The red square is so precise, such a clear, bold statement against the quieter olive green. And that stroke of blue? It is like a pillar, a moment of calm verticality. I just love it. Adnan’s paintings remind me of Agnes Martin, another artist I admire. There is a similar clarity of vision, a focus on the essential elements of painting. It’s like they are always asking, “What is painting, really?” I feel like all of us painters are in an ongoing conversation with one another, across time. We are always learning from each other, always pushing the boundaries of what painting can be.