Rosa grigio grande 1973

Carla Accardi made this painting, ‘Rosa grigio grande’, with paint, at an unknown time. You know, one thing I love about paintings is their process and how the making of the work is on full display. Here we see how the grey shapes have been built up over the pink background. They are separate moments, separate decisions. Look at how the colors interact; the pink acting as a soft, hazy ground for the gray semi-circular forms that populate the canvas. These shapes feel so physical, so present. I find myself wondering about the consistency of the paint—was it thick, like frosting, or thin, like watercolor? I love how the individual brushstrokes contribute to the overall texture and pattern. They don't quite meet the edges of the shapes, or each other. Accardi's work reminds me a little of someone like Agnes Martin, with its emphasis on repetition and subtle variation. In the end, art is about the conversation and exchange of ideas across time. Each brushstroke is not a fixed truth, but an open question.