Starlight 1963

Agnes Martin made this painting, Starlight, with acrylic and ink. It’s a field of pale blue, overlaid with a grid of broken lines in a darker ink. I can imagine Agnes, brush in hand, trying to get the blue just right. It’s a colour that’s both soft and strong. And then those lines, like she’s mapping out a private universe. I wonder if she ever felt trapped by the grid, or if it gave her freedom. It feels like she’s inviting us to get lost in it, too. It's so quiet. There’s a real connection between Martin’s work and other painters who were exploring abstraction and spirituality, like Hilma af Klint, and, of course, Agnes was connected with the Abstract Expressionists, who all shared this idea of using the medium of paint to access something deeper, something beyond words. Painting's about this ongoing conversation, each artist adding their voice. It’s not about answers, but about asking questions and trusting that ambiguity is where the good stuff lives.