Gem Manufacturing Company [Clips] 2009

Sarah Morris's ‘Gem Manufacturing Company [Clips]’ is all about color and line, carefully orchestrated. There’s a screen-printed effect, flat and clean, where colors meet with hard edges. The material aspect is striking. The surface is smooth, almost machine-made, pushing back against the gestural impulse of painting. Look at how the orange curves overlap, creating a sense of depth within the flatness. The precision in the line work is a dance between control and chance. The palette feels so deliberate, it's like she’s designed a brand, or a building. Morris reminds me a bit of artists like Bridget Riley, who play with perception and optical effects, but with a cooler, more architectural sensibility. It’s a reminder that art doesn't need to be messy to be meaningful, and it can find its voice in the sleekest of forms.