Cathedral #5 1966

Leon Berkowitz created this work, Cathedral #5, with luminous color fields, a visual experience marked by its vibrant vertical bands and soft edges. The interplay of orange, teal, and purple hues creates a sense of depth and invites contemplation. Berkowitz's approach reflects the concerns of color field painting, focusing on the emotional and spiritual resonance of color. The ethereal quality of the stripes, achieved through a delicate layering of paint, evokes a sense of transcendence and invites a reading of the canvas as a semiotic structure, where each color and its placement contribute to a larger system of meaning. This piece challenges traditional notions of form and space, suggesting a move toward the dematerialization of the object. The verticality of the stripes functions not only aesthetically, but also as part of a broader exploration of perception and being. It exists as a site of ongoing interpretation, inviting viewers to bring their own experiences and perspectives to the work.