The One of Diamonds 1980

Tony DeLap made this ‘One of Diamonds’ wall sculpture, using a muted palette and clean lines. It’s as if he’s distilling painting down to its essence – shape, color, and the flat surface itself. The matte finish on that semi-circle, that kind of mauve-y brown, it’s so quiet, so still, you could almost miss it. The way it floats just slightly off the wall, casting that delicate shadow, it's all about subtlety. And then there’s that square, that cool grey that feels both solid and ethereal. The whole thing has this zen-like quality, a quiet hum that resonates with the space around it. It reminds me a little of some of Agnes Martin's work, in the way it reduces everything to these pure, almost spiritual forms. But DeLap adds this playful twist, this sense of illusion and magic, that's all his own. Art doesn't always have to shout; sometimes, the quietest voices speak the loudest.