Untitled 2004

Makinti Napanangka made this untitled painting with acrylic on canvas sometime before 2011. The horizontal lines, laid down one by one, are where it’s at. You get the sense that Napanangka was in the zone, letting the process guide her. The ochres are earthy and warm, contrasted with these wild cobalt blues. The paint isn’t trying to hide anything; you can see the texture of the brushstrokes, how each line has its own little wobble and weight. Look at the way some of the lines bleed into each other, creating these juicy, blurry moments. It’s like the painting is breathing. I’m reminded of Agnes Martin, another painter who used simple lines to create a sense of calm and contemplation, but with a completely different sensibility. Napanangka’s work is less restrained, more intuitive. It’s a reminder that art is never really finished, just abandoned at some point. There’s always room for more lines, more colors, more ideas.