October Ladders 1974

Christopher Wilmarth’s *October Ladders* is a deep dive into color, surface, and form. His work is about taking an idea and working it out, and here, he builds up layers of tone, creating something both tangible and ethereal. Look closely, and you’ll see how the shades shift. The way the gray is, like, not just gray but a whole family of grays. And that dark section, is it black, or the deepest green? It’s as if he’s trying to capture the very essence of October, the feeling of fall closing in. There’s a quietness here, a moodiness, but it’s also open. A single wire falls gently down the canvas. I’m reminded of Agnes Martin with the focus on the surface as a space for contemplation, and the idea of art as something that asks you to slow down and really see. There’s no one right way to read this. It’s more about what it makes you feel, what thoughts it stirs up.